The Chicago Fire are close to adding a United States Men’s National Team veteran to their ranks as Kellyn Acosta will sign with the club, per ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura.
Acosta, 28, joins the Fire after spending the previous two seasons in California with LAFC where he appeared in the MLS Cup Final each campaign. He was out of contract at the end of the 2023 MLS season and was an unrestricted free agent.
A midfielder who can cover the entire pitch, Acosta was one of the most desirable MLS free agents during the current cycle and reportedly had offers from multiple teams in the league. The Plano, Texas native has 58 senior caps with the USMNT and came off the bench twice for his country during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Since turning pro in 2013 with FC Dallas after standing out in their academy system, Acosta has made 252 MLS appearances (212 starts) while tallying 18 goals and 19 assists in nearly 19,000 minutes on the pitch. He started LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup Final win but was substituted off at the beginning of extra time.
The deal has been months in the making, and the Fire will finally add some depth to their double pivot position alongside Gastón Giménez and Federico Navarro. Acosta provides an instant upgrade at that position and should be in line for a starting spot with the Fire in 2024.
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