why Shaqiri is about to leave OL for Chicago after the end of the transfer window

The opening of the American winter transfer window in February allows Xherdan Shaqiri to have the possibility of leaving OL for the Chicago Fire, while the French market ended at the end of January. In the United States, the Swiss international would find one of its former leaders.

The French winter transfer window ended on the evening of January 31, but Olympique Lyonnais could still part ways with Xherdan Shaqiri. Three days after the decisive performance of the Swiss attacking midfielder against Olympique de Marseille, the Rhone club announced on Friday discussions with a Major League Soccer (MLS) club in the United States. According to the Swiss media Blick, the player would be precisely about to engage with the Chicago Fire.

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If this transfer is possible, it is because the closure of the French transfer window only prevents arrivals, but not departures. This is the case for most European championships, which therefore makes it impossible, for example, to move from France to Spain.

The American transfer window opens on February 10

But conversely, the transfer window will soon open its doors in the United States. As the MLS calendar is shifted from Europe, with the season starting in March and ending in December, the market officially opens on February 10. It is from this date that franchises are authorized to register new players. New signatures are allowed until May 4. These dates do not prevent the Chicago Fire from reaching an agreement with OL before the opening of the window.

Moreover, the Chicago Fire’s interest in Xherdan Shaqiri is no coincidence. The club has close ties with Switzerland. The owner, the American billionaire Joe Mansueto, also offered FC Lugano, a Swiss D1 club, during last summer. In addition, the sporting director of the American team, Georg Heitz, is Swiss. He previously held the same position at FC Basel between 2008 and 2017. The current Lyonnais began his professional career there in 2009. The two men therefore know each other well.