Robert Lewandowski joins the Chicago Fire: A 'defining moment' that raises questions

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

The Chicago Fire have finally caught their white whale. After years of being linked with Robert Lewandowski, the Polish legend has, at last, joined the Major League Soccer franchise.

The 37-year-old has arrived in the Windy City as a free agent after leaving Barcelona. Lewandowski was briefly in discussions over a contract extension with the LaLiga champions, but he wasn't happy with the pay cut they asked him to take.

He ultimately opted to depart the club after four successful years. Despite his age, Lewandowski scored a whopping 120 goals in 193 appearances for Barcelona, continuing his awe-inspiring form in front of the goal.

The Pole is perhaps the best out-and-out No.9 of his generation, having amassed north of 700 career goals for club and country. Prior to playing for Barcelona, he had starred for Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

He has now joined the Fire as a Designated Player on a two-year contract and will, in theory, augment what is already one of the most potent attacks in MLS. In practice, though, it remains to be seen how exactly Chicago's frontline will look for the rest of the season.

Odd timing - but the Fire had to go for it

The fact that Lewandowski has ended up here should be no surprise. He had been linked with a move to MLS, and particularly the Fire, for years. Why Chicago? It is the capital of the Polish diaspora.

It is estimated that just under 1 million people of Polish descent live in the Windy City, and the Fire have a long and successful history of signing and developing Polish and Polish-American players.

Acquiring Lewandowski could be a commercial game-changer for the Fire ahead of the opening of their new downtown stadium, McDonald's Park, in 2028. He is a bona fide global superstar and will put bums on seats.

Looking at it purely from this perspective, signing Lewandowski is a no-brainer. And yet, it is somewhat ironic that the Fire have finally caught their white whale at a time when they needed him least.

For years, Chicago were in the doldrums and would have bitten your hand off for a player of Lewandowski's quality and stature. Now, they are actually doing really well under Gregg Berhalter, and it's in no small part thanks to star striker Hugo Cuypers.

Last year, the Fire clinched their first playoff spot since 2017 and recorded their first post-season win since 2009 after beating Orlando City in a Wild Card game. They are performing even better this year and sit third in the Eastern Conference, behind Nashville and Inter Miami.

Cuypers is currently leading the MLS Golden Boot race with 13 goals in 11 games. World Cup stars Lionel Messi and Petar Musa are hot on the Belgian's heels with 12 goals.

What Lewandowski's arrival means for the 29-year-old is still not entirely clear. In an ideal world, Berhalter would surely love to play the two strikers together, and he has experimented with a 4-4-2 shape at times this season, perhaps in anticipation of the Pole's signing.

However, this is not a league where you can freely wheel and deal; this is MLS with its stringent roster rules. Lewandowski is Chicago's third DP, which wouldn't in itself be an issue. After all, you're allowed a maximum of three DPs.

The problem is more that the Fire also want to sign Lewandowski's former Bayern teammate Leon Goretzka, who will likely demand a DP-level salary as well. Goretzka is fielding strong interest from European giants and surely won't join the Fire if they can't offer a competitive wage.

So, if they are really serious about signing the German, they will have to offload either Cuypers or their other DP, Jonathan Bamba. Neither player's contract can be bought down, so a sale is the only solution.

On the whole, Bamba has been a fairly underwhelming signing for the Fire and probably wouldn't be missed. That said, he has looked improved this season, and it could be argued that offloading Cuypers would be better for squad balance.

Performances haven't been entirely convincing when Berhalter has experimented with a 4-4-2 system, so playing with a lone striker could make more sense. But do you really want to sacrifice the league's Golden Boot leader for a 37-year-old?

The Fire described the signing of Lewandowski as a "defining moment" in the club's history, but it is a gamble because they have a good thing going with Cuypers. There is no shortage of interest in the Belgian from around MLS. They certainly wouldn't struggle to find a buyer.

But would you be comfortable with Lewandowski being your only genuine striker option at his age? Can his body still cope with what is going to be a relentless schedule once MLS returns from its World Cup break and Leagues Cup begins?

Berhalter and the club's front office will have to find answers to these questions, but there is no denying that Lewandowski is, on paper, a hugely exciting signing. After failing to sign Neymar, Kevin de Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, the Fire finally have their superstar.

Written by

Tom Weber | Writer

Tom Weber is an experienced, multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer as part of his freelance work for FootballTransfers.

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