Chicago Fire sign Hugo Cuypers from Belgian side Gent | OneFootball

Chicago Fire have confirmed the signing of Hugo Cuypers from Belgian giants Gent on a contract through 2026 with an option for 2027 for a club-record transfer fee.

The move for the 26-year-old comes after the Fire scored 39 goals in 2023 - the fourth-least among all teams in the regular season - as Chicago were practically crying out for a new talisman to put away chances in front of goal.

Cuypers joins a Chicago side that finished in 13th place in the Eastern Conference table last term, as they're still searching for a postseason berth for the first time since since 2017. He's set to linkup with fellow attackers in the Windy City like Xherdan Shaqiri, Georgios Koutsias and Brian Gutierrez.

The Liege, Belgium native managed 51 goals and 15 assists in 90 appearances for Gent, that includes nine goals in the UEFA Conference League. Cuypers also brings experience with the likes of Olympiacos in Greece as well as other Belgian clubs KV Mechelen and Standard Liege.

Cuypers brings a winning mentality to Soldier Field, as he lifted one Greek cup with Olympiacos as well as two Super League titles.

"We're thrilled to officially welcome Hugo Cuypers to the Club," Chicago sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release. "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.

"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.

"Additionally, this deal would not have been possible without the continued commitment from ownership to invest heavily throughout all areas of the Club. We are confident that Hugo will be a game-changing addition to our team, and we look forward to having him in Chicago for the start of the 2024 MLS season."

Cuypers is a former Belgium youth international, scoring one goal in three appearances for the U19 side. In order to complete the transfer, Chicago shelled out roughly $12m with an additional $2m in add-ons, making it the fifth-most expensive inbound transfer in league history.

The Fire kick-off their 2024 MLS campaign with a challenging contest against Philadelphia Union on February 24 at Subaru Park.