It's done.
After a few weeks of back-and-forth and "Will he or won't he?" rumors, the Chicago Fire announced on Sunday that they have reached a transfer agreement with English Championship side Wigan Athletic for Scottich international attacker Shaun Maloney He joins the Men in Red as the club's third Designated Player.
Already in Chicago, Maloney will be added to the roster upon receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and his P1 Visa. Per MLS and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Maloney is scheduled to join his teammates for the first day of preseason training camp and also take part in an official presentation event on Monday at Toyota Park.
“Shaun is a very experienced player, having played in both the English and Scottish Premier Leagues, and we’re very happy to have signed someone of his caliber,” said Fire Head Coach and Director of Soccer Frank Yallop. “His style of play fits in exactly with what we’re trying to do at the Fire. He’s a hard-working, attack-minded player who is really going to help this team and we’re excited to have signed him.”
Maloney, 32, brings to Chicago a wealth of experience in England and Scotland, and a celebrated attack-minded style of play. He joins the Fire after three-and-a-half years with Wigan, for whom he played a central role in their Cinderella run to the 2013 FA Cup title. He provided the assist on Ben Watson’s 91st-minute game-winning goal to upset Manchester City in the final and earn the Latics their first major trophy in history.
Across all competitions, Maloney appeared in 91 matches, scoring 15 goals and adding 17 assists for Wigan. This season, he's made 22 total appearances and scored two goals.
“I’m very happy to be joining the Fire,” said Maloney. “I owe a lot to the manager Frank Yallop and the owner Andrew Hauptman for getting this done. I certainly didn’t expect it to get done this quickly, so I appreciate the faith that they’ve shown in me. It’s a brilliant league and I’m really hopeful that I’m going to enjoy Chicago and be a big part of what the club is building. I’d also like to show respect for my previous club and thank the owner and manager over at Wigan for letting this happen.”
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A product of Celtic FC's youth system, Maloney featured for the Glasgow giants for six years, making 138 appearances, scoring 37 goals, and being named the SPFA Player of the Year in 2006.
The following year, he moved to English Premier League club Aston Villa, where he scored seven goals in 33 appearances before returning to Celtic in the summer of 2008. In his second stint with the Bhoys, he again played a starring role, notching 15 goals in 84 matches.
Internationally, Maloney has been a mainstay for Scotland since making his international debut in 2005. He has earned 36 caps and scored four times for his country. He has played an integral part in Scotland's Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, starting all four matches, notching a vital match-winning goal in their 1-0 win over Ireland in November, and scoring in the away draw against Poland in October. The Scots currently sit in 3rd place in Group D, behind Poland and Germany.
Alex Re-Signs
Also on Sunday, the Fire announced that the club has re-signed Brazilian midfielder Alex, who joined the Fire during the 2012 summer transfer window from Swiss side FC Wohlen. The 26-year-old from Sao Paolo has notched three goals and two assists for the Men in Red in 75 regular-season appearances, and also has one postseason goal to his credit as well as in one goal and one assist in US Open Cup play.
