(UPDATE: Now ESPN FC are also claiming that Bastian Schweinsteiger to Chicago Fire could be in in the works, as talks are currently taking place)
Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has been frozen out at Old Trafford, failing to see a minute of first team playing time this season. It was only until recently that Schweinsteiger even found himself back in first team training even!
Without a doubt, he is not part of Manager Jose Mourinho’s plans, and the German definitely deserves better in this the twilight of his career. He needs to find a new place to play.
That place could be the Chicago Fire in American Major League Soccer. Schweinsteiger going to MLS, and the Chicago Fire at that, is an idea that we covered previously.
Schweinsteiger was spotted by the Express leaving a restaurant in Manchester after an apparent meeting with Chicago Fire coach Veljko Paunovic this week. According to the reports, they had a four-hour lunch and the Fire front office would not confirm the meeting, but did say Paunovic is in Europe scouting.
Reports out of Germany have suggested he will be leaving Man United when the January transfer window opens up, and the Fire wouldn’t be a bad landing spot for the 32-year-old.
Schweinsteiger could go from someplace where there is no hope to a destination where he would be the absolute alpha dog. The former German National Team Captain could be the next big name European star to join the world football retirement home league that is the MLS.
Schweinsteiger could find refuge in America and the Fire could find themselves a legitimate star; something they badly badly badly need. The Chicago Fire need something, anything, big to wake up a local market that is sleeping on them. They need to try and become relevant.
The Fire aren’t the only MLS team to be linked with Schweinsteiger this season.
Said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt earlier this season: “He is an incredible player. I always admired him and the success that his teams had. That is no coincidence, he is a winner. At the moment we only have space for one designated player and we wanted to fill this with a striker. Maybe it will change, we will see.”
Hunt also confirmed to German media that this club is in fact interested in signing Schweinsteiger.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.