MLS outfit Chicago Fire confirm they fought off competition from numerous ‘other teams’ for Hugo Cuypers the Rangers linked striker secures a club-record move away from KAA Gent.
When you consider the fee Chicago Fire eventually stumped up to bring Cuypers across the Atlantic, it feels somewhat surprising that Ibrox was ever mentioned as a potential destination.
The Illinois-based outfit could reportedly pay an eye-watering £12 million, with add-ons included. A sum which exceeds the deal which saw former Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan winger Xherdan Shaqiri march into Soldier Field in 2022.
According to Belgian reporter Sacha Tavolieri – who played down the club’s interest in Emmanuel Dennis and Steven Alzate at the start of the window – Rangers’ pursuit of Cuypers was both real and serious.
Once it became apparent exactly how much Chicago Fire were willing to pay in order to blow their rivals out the water, however, Rangers’ hopes of welcoming one of the most prolific forwards in European football to Glasgow quickly went up in smoke.
Rangers linked striker seals club-record transfer
“We’re thrilled to officially welcome Hugo Cuypers to the club,” smiles Chicago Fire’s sporting director Georg Heitz, via the MLS website.
“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.”
Cuypers is certainly that. He scored 34 goals for Gent last term, and arrives after netting 16 times in the first half of the current campaign.
“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,” Heitz adds.
“We are confident that Hugo will be a game-changing addition to our team. We look forward to having him in Chicago for the start of the 2024 MLS season.”
New faces make their mark at Ibrox
Rangers still succeeded in reinforcing a talented if inconsistent frontline, at least. Fabio Silva arrived on loan from Wolves and opened his account during last week’s 3-0 win over Livingston. Oscar Cortes, meanwhile, was hailed by Philippe Clement after impressing off the bench at home to Aberdeen a few days ago.
