Chicago Fire FC has completed the signing of United States men’s national midfielder Kellyn Acosta, the MLS club announced Tuesday.
Acosta, who has appeared 34 times for the U.S. over the last three years, including twice at the World Cup in 2022, was one of the most sought-after free agents in Major League Soccer after his deal with LAFC expired at the end of last season.
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The 28-year-old has signed a contract with Chicago through the 2026 season, with a club option for 2027.
“We’re very pleased that Kellyn has joined the Club, as he was our primary target in free agency in the offseason,” Chicago Fire sporting director Georg Heitz said. “We wanted to add a well-rounded central midfielder with strong leadership qualities and a track record of success.
“Kellyn has won trophies with multiple clubs and has been a great ambassador for the League while representing the U.S. Men’s National Team, including most recently at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Kellyn choosing the Fire at this stage of his career shows that he fully believes in our vision to build a Club that is one of the top teams in MLS and has a deep connection with the local community.”
In two years in Los Angeles, Acosta helped guide LAFC to a pair of MLS Cup finals, including a championship in 2022.
He is part of an ambitious offseason for the Chicago, which announced last week it signed striker Hugo Cuypers from Belgian side KAA Gent for a club-record transfer fee.
A source told ESPN the fee is roughly $14 million.
A product of the FC Dallas academy, Acosta signed a homegrown contract with them in 2012 and featured 117 times for the club over six seasons before being traded to the Colorado Rapids in 2018.
After 79 appearances with the Rapids over parts of four seasons, Acosta was traded to LAFC prior to the 2022 season.
Information from ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura contributed to this report.