Collins John has signed a multi-year deal with the Chicago Fire after the two sides came to terms on a contract late Wednesday night.
Talks between the former Fulham striker and the club appeared stalled earlier this week, with sources indicating that had John not come to terms with the Fire, he would have resumed his professional career in Europe.
But Fire officials confirmed Thursday that John and the team have agreed to terms, and the club officially announced the acquisition on Friday morning.
"We are very excited to have
Collins join the Chicago Fire," Fire technical director Frank
Klopas said in a statement. "Collins is a talented player and he will be a great addition to
the club. He is a quick and powerful forward with a nose for goal and
we believe he will be a good fit to the attacking style we will play
this season."
The 25-year-old Dutch international's form has dipped in recent seasons. Last year, while on loan at Belgian side KSV Roeselare, John was demoted to the reserve squad for disciplinary reasons and subsequently released.
Financial details of John's contract were not revealed, but fellow forward Patrick Nyarko is slated to come off the Generation Adidas list next season with a salary that will make a sizeable dent in the team salary cap. Nyarko proved to be a vital cog last season, appearing in all 30 matches and earning 22 starts up top.
John and Fire forward Brian McBride teamed together at Fulham for large portions of the 2004-08 seasons, and combined for 21 league goals at the peak of their collective success during 2005-06. John eventually fell out of favor at Craven Cottage and bounced around the EPL on loan deals, but the duo’s success together surely caught the attention of the Fire brass during the offseason.
John joined Chicago in February and has scored three goals this preseason.
