Rumor: Chicago Fire close to signing Ignacio Aliseda

His name has been floating around the rumor mill for a couple weeks, and now it appears the Chicago Fire may actually be close to signing Argentinian attacker Ignacio Aliseda. So, who is he?

Aliseda is a left winger for Defensa y Justicia, a mid-table side in the Argentina Superliga. He’s primarily a left winger, but he can play right wing or striker. He seems like a dynamic dribbler who’s not afraid to take someone on, or cut inside quickly for a big shot.

So far this preseason, Fire head coach Raphael Wicky has been using a 4-3-3. With Aliseda and Przemyslaw Frankowski working the wings, and Robert Berić roaming the forward spot, this potential Fire front three could give MLS defenses fits. Shift Aliseda to the right and move CJ Sapong to the left, and suddenly the Fire have options and a bit of depth.

The new MLS CBA, and why this might make sense

Aliseda is only 19-years-old. That’s still young enough that it’s definitely a gamble on whether he’ll pan out, but MLS is encouraging teams to take risks like this. Aliseda would very likely fall into a designated player spot (Transfermarkt values him at $3.3 million). Under the newly signed collective bargaining agreement, MLS can limit the compensation of a team’s third DP, unless the player is 23-years-old or younger. In that case, there is no limit. So, it could definitely benefit the Fire to take a chance on a young star.

It appears new Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz is more interested in finding and creating stars than buying them. Aliseda’s age means he carries a fair amount of risk, but the potential could be huge. If Heitz gets this one right, Aliseda could end up being the next Miguel Almiron—a great MLS player with huge resale value. If he’s wrong, well, the Fire have been down that road before.

What else?

Aliseda is fairly short—only 5’5”. He has one goal and one assist in ten Superliga appearances this season. He’s a 70-rated player on FIFA 20, but he has a potential of 84.

Take a look at his hype video, and then let us know what you think in the comments. Is Aliseda’s upside worth using up a young DP spot?