Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire have signed Belgian striker Hugo Cuypers from Gent in a club record transfer, the team said on Tuesday.
Cuypers, leading scorer in Belgium’s top division with 27 goals in 39 games last season, has signed a deal through 2026 with an option for 2027.
The club did not specify the transfer fee but confirmed it was a club record deal for the 26-year-old — media reports said the fee was $12 million with another $2 million due in add-ons.
Chicago’s previous record transfer fee was a reported $7.5 million spent two years ago to bring Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri from French club Lyon.
“We have been very focused on acquiring a striker in the prime of their career with a proven track record of scoring goals in a very competitive league,” said Chicago’s sporting director Georg Heitz.
“Hugo has been one of the leading goal-scorers in the Belgian first division over the last few seasons, and despite receiving interest from other teams, he had a very strong desire to join the Fire and help us achieve our goal of becoming one of the top clubs in MLS,” he added.
The Fire, who finished 13th in the Eastern Conference last season, will start their MLS campaign on February 24 at the Philadelphia Union.
