The Chicago Fire made waves in 2017 as the club opted to bring in Bastian Schweinsteiger on a Designated Player deal. While the signed of the former German National Team captain was initially met with disbelief thanks to Schweinsteiger’s age, his lack of playing time coming from Manchester United, and the previous acquisitions of midfielders Dax McCarty and Juninho. However, Schweinsteiger adapted quickly to MLS play and led the fire from a league-lowest 31 point finish in 2016 to a third-highest 55 points in 2017. Schweinsteiger’s success was also a benefit to fellow Designated Player newcomer, Nemanja Nikolic, who would score 24 goals for Chicago, making him the 2017 MLS Golden Boot winner.
Transfer Rumors: Fire linked to FC Porto duo, Iker Casillas and Juan Quintero
