Curious, for the ‘never dump Hugo’ folks… If you get a chance to sign Lewy, would you keep both Cuypers and Bamba, or feel it appropriate to swap one for a different DP to make the most of the group assembled? Regarding tomorrow’s announcement, can’t help but be curious if it’s for the first team and if anything is indicated about how they will make space for them.
If we could sign Lewy..do it! Aaaaaand keep Cuypers....Bamba I would love to keep as well but not so sure that would work as well. I Would keep Cuypers Over Bamba.
NOBODY is saying "never dump Hugo." Who has said that? Please provide examples. Nowhere that I have seen on BigSoccer has it been said we should never dump Cuypers. Why do people have to lie like that? Or, is it a lack of reading comprehension? Probably just being provocative and reactionary. To answer the question. I have no problem letting Bamba go, but I do not think we should. He did not play up to his billing (or salary), especially after the first quarter of the season. However, I have said that I think he will have a monster season this year. I believe that. For the record, I have no problem letting Cuypers go, either. Basically, EVERY player is expendable, when there are upgrades. NEVER is an absolute. In sports, pretty much everything is relative, not absolute. However, we should not "dump" Cuypers for Lewandowski, though. That would be foolish. IF we sign Lewandowski (still very speculative), it should not be at the expense of the best striker we have had since Nikolic. Two years ago, if the choice was whether to sign Cuypers or Lewandowski, the answer would be obvious, Lewandowski. Now, we should have both. Lewandowski can still play at the highest level on Earth. However, Cuypers is the longer term answer, being about 7 years younger. We sign both of them, play both of them, enjoy the ever loving f*ck of seeing them both in the field, and when Lewandowski retires in two years, we still have Cuypers. On the other hand, if we can sign Lewandowski AND can get $15 million+ (out of MLS) for Cuypers, THEN we move Cuypers. We take that money and sign a very young striker to take over when Lewandowski retires.
If this is about Mbokazi, whoever posted it sucks. That would not be news at all! South African flag, I think. Mofokena?
🚨 BREAKING! 🔥We can confirm that TS Galaxy's Puso Dithejane will be joining Mbekezeli Mbokazi at MLS side Chicago Fire. ✈️🇺🇸SoccerBeat has previously linked the winger with a move to the States. Congratulations, Puso! 👏#AirMobile #BetwayPrem pic.twitter.com/KFUudhfytf— SoccerBeat (@SoccerBeatZA) January 13, 2026 🔥🚨 EXCL: The Chicago Fire have completed the signing of Puso Dithejane from TS Galaxy!The 21-year-old South African winger was wanted by Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns, but starts a new chapter in MLS instead. 🇿🇦https://t.co/wn3jnKeSTP#cf97 #vamosfire— Alex Calabrese (@amcalabrese12) January 13, 2026 U-22 Initiative signing. His contract is for four-and-a-half years, running through June 2030, with one additional club option year.
“Dithejane, viewed in his homeland as a future South Africa international, joins the Fire as a U-22 Initiative signing. His contract is for four-and-a-half years, running through June 2030, with one additional club option year. Dithejane is predominantly a right winger but can also play as a right back or in attacking midfield, and featured for Bafana Bafanaat the 2025 COSAFA Cup, starting in their 3-0 final loss to Angola.” Exclusive: Chicago Fire sign Puso Dithejane Dithejane joins the Men in Red on a 4.5-year, U-22 Initiative deal. https://www.meninred97.com/exclusive-chicago-fire-sign-puso-dithejane/
Rumor also is that Acosta could be going to Poland. I really like the depth this team has now. We just need a backup striker and we'll be set until after the World Cup if we bring in Lewy.
WOW! Big surprise to me. Interesting, for sure. Lots of speed and a RW Not that it matters but Transfermarkt already posted a transfer fee of about $1.5 million. Prior to transfer, most commonly estimated about $1.0 m. Whatever, just Guti money. He apparently speaks some English and his acquisition could help Mbokazi adjust to Chicago. This could mean Fire will buy down 2 U22s when they acquire Lewy ( Barroso & Radojevic?). Does this mean MHS and/or Glasgow going off roster-via sale or loan?
Looking at free agents out there, what is everyone's thoughts about getting Corey Baird as backup striker? Depending on cost, wouldn't require an international spot either. What would be a dilemma though would be after world cup if we go for Lewa, then we'd have too many but I feel like surely we need someone else there for the first half of the season
I would not expect a backup striker to signed, especially if we are truly aiming to sign Lewy…and keep Hugo. IF Hugo were to be out for a couple games during the first half of the season, Bamba, Lod, or Shokalook can fill in.
13 INTL tags….GGG still has some work to do To answer the question: Yes, that means the Chicago Fire aren't roster compliant right now.That's ok preseason & they have till Feb 20 to sort things out.I expect Radojević is getting moved off the U22 slot as a roster/cap move.#cf97 #VamosFire https://t.co/OEav2ARKJi pic.twitter.com/OoF2VVZ4vk— Tim Hotze (@sing_electric) January 13, 2026
The Official (official) Announcement: Chicago Fire FC Acquires South African Winger Puso Dithejane https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/chicago-fire-fc-acquires-south-african-winger-puso-dithejane He comes from the Transnet School of Excellence (a sporting academy). I do not know anything about it, but that is one awesome name!
The rumor is he is going to Pogon Szczecin. Good team, with some rough history. They won the Polish Cup last year. Jerzy Podbrozny played there after he left the Fire. It is where Kamil Grosicki has headed for the end of his career. It is where he started his career. My better half has good friends in Szczecin. We were there in 2023. Beautiful city with a good bar scene. Szczecin was called Stettin, and is right on the German border. It is a completely unmarked border, we only knew we had gone from Germany to Poland as I could no longer read the street signs and my better half could! It is also the actual name of the "town" (not really a town, just a place to vote and they control street plowing, essentially) just outside Wausau where I currently live in Wisconsin. So ends the history lesson about Szczecin.
https://x.com/mattdoyle76/status/2011109325264339313 Chicago Fire FC DP slots: 2/2 - Jonathan Bamba, Hugo Cuypers U22 slots: 4/4 - Leonardo Barroso, Djé D'Avilla, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Puso Dithejane Gregg Berhalter got to work early, signing Barroso, D’Avilla and Viktor Radojević last season, and making Mbokazi (who I think will be a starter) one of the first big signings anybody made in the current transfer window. Then, just this morning, they signed winger Puso Dithejane and moved Radojević out of his U22 designation and onto the senior roster To borrow an explanation from MenInRed97's Tim Hotze, "[Radojević] wasn't a big transfer fee and he isn't making that much money, so the Fire essentially got a third of his transferfer fee paid off with expiring GAM they got from going 2/4/GAM last year." Between all of the above, along with some work in MLS free agency (Robin Lod) and getting Swedish international Anton Salétros in on a TAM deal, there just aren’t many needs to address roster-wide. And obviously, nothing they can use any premium slots on. What comes next: Player development. Barroso was mostly a back-up to veteran Jonathan Dean, and while D'Avilla improved over the course of his half-season at d-mid, he’s still got a ways to go. Radojević, meanwhile, has yet to make this debut. The other thing that might happen… look, the Robert Lewandowski whispers are not going away. And for that to happen, something needs to happen with Cuypers ———————— Need to do some math on the budget worksheet, but I believe option B for signing Lewy is keeping Cuypers and untagging Barroso(and taking a salary budget hit)…depends on the rest of the movement to become roster compliant (at a minimum, Acosta departure, but wouldn’t be surprised to see 1 or 2 more loans or something). P.S. Nice to see Tim get the shout out.
Link to the article: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/east...-down-every-team-s-premium-roster-slot-status What comes next: Player development. Barroso was mostly a back-up to veteran Jonathan Dean, Barroso was hurt for much of the season. He is also still a kid. Still, he played only 600 minutes fewer than Dean, with 11 starts. Dean had 18 starts. I fully expect those stats to, at minimum, switch with Barroso receiving the bulk of the starts.
The other thing that might happen… look, the Robert Lewandowski whispers are not going away. And for that to happen, something needs to happen with Cuypers Yes, and that "something" is he needs to start and score a crap ton of goals. If Lewandowski arrives, Cuypers will start and will score a half crap ton of goals.
Additions of PD today brings us to 31 seniors....minus Acosta would get us to the 30...so 1 more move/departure would be needed to add Lewy.