BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The Chicago Fire have confirmed that they have received an offer for Designated Player Shaun Maloney from English Championship side Hull City.
A club spokesman told MLSsoccer.com on Tuesday that the Scottish international has been targeted by the Tigers, who were relegated from the Premier League last season.
Maloney has endured a difficult debut season in MLS, missing a chunk of games due to injury and international duty, notching three goals and two assists in 12 regular season games with the Fire. He has looked good in two games since returning from an eight-game injury absence on July 25, scoring in Chicago’s 2-2 draw against New England on July 25 and in their 2-0 win against FC Dallas on Sunday.
“He hasn’t been healthy for the last six weeks, but once you get him back you realize how good he is,” Yallop said last week. “The big thing for us was getting him back, he’s healthy now and he looks good so we’re excited to have that. He couples along with David [Accam] very well, they don’t always play together, but when they’re on the field we tend to look dynamic and a good team.”
The MLS transfer window closes on Thursday, though the Fire – who play at Portland on Friday – would be able to sell Maloney to Hull or another English club up until the close of that country's transfer window on Sept. 1. The ninth-place club will have to balance a decision on Maloney with their playoff push and US Open Cup run, a potentially tricky proposition considering Wednesday’s news that the club will host the Open Cup final in late September should they win at Philadelphia in next week’s semifinal.
Meanwhile, the Men in Red parted ways with Brazilian striker Guly do Prado by mutual consent on Tuesday, and expect newly acquired Brazilian Designated Player Gilberto to meet up with the team in Portland subject to receipt of his V1 visa.
