As MLS teams position themselves for the final days of the summer transfer window, US national team midfielder Jermaine Jones remains one of the biggest names still out there who has expressed interest in the league.
And according to a report in ChicagoNow.com citing anonymous sources, the Fire have joined the list of the clubs courting Jones as a Designated Player.
The Fire, who recently added Romanian Razvan Cocis, also a central midfielder, currently hold the fifth spot in the league’s allocation order, meaning they would likely have to move up to nab Jones, who currently belongs to Turkish side Besiktas. As noted in the ChicagoNow.com report, Cocis' acquisition leaves the Fire with a glut of midfielders also including Jeff Larentowicz, Matt Watson, Chris Ritter, Benji Joya and Logan Pause.
A Fire spokesperson declined to comment on the Jones report but did say, “The club does consider the allocation order as a viable method of acquiring players.”
The LA Galaxy traded defender Kofi Opare to D.C. United on Tuesday to move up to the No. 3 allocation spot, perhaps signaling a future deal of their own.
Following the World Cup, Jones has utilized social media as a way of showing his interest in MLS. And in a recent interview on Fox Sports, he said he’d be interested in a move to the league with a stipulation: “They have to give me what I want.”
