The Chicago Fire completed the acquisition of Uruguayan midfielder Arévalo Ríos on loan from Italian side Palermo on Wednesday, boosting their midfield with a timely dose of quality and experience.
The 2010 World Cup veteran and 2011 Copa América winner will occupy a Designated Player slot for the Fire, who simultaneously announced that DP striker Sherjill MacDonald has departed the club by mutual consent.
“Arévalo is a midfielder with a wealth of international experience,” said Fire president of soccer operations Javier Leon in a statement. “He provides another talented option for our midfield and will help us make the push for the second half of the season.”
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Ríos has been training with Chicago, but is still awaiting arrival of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 visa before he becomes eligible for match action.
A powerful, hard-working presence in the center of the park, Ríos has made 46 appearances for Uruguay and was a major contributor to their fourth-place run at South Africa 2010. He also participated in the 2012 London Olympics as an overage player and took part in the Confederations Cup earlier this year.
