Schaumburg's Chris Mueller acquired by Chicago Fire FC

Orlando City forward Chris Mueller plays against Nashville SC during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

by: Larry Hawley

Posted: May 5, 2022 / 10:23 AM CDT

Updated: May 5, 2022 / 10:26 AM CDT

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CHICAGO – Once again in 2022, the club has made an acquisition in hopes of bolstering their offensive production on the pitch.

They’re hoping this native of the Chicago area can join with the others to help them do just that.

Now Official From @ChicagoFire FC: Schaumburg native and winger Chris Mueller joins the club on a free transfer from Hibernian FC. Orlando City FC, who has Mueller’s MLS rights, gets $250,000 general allocation money the next 2 years, 2023 Fire 1st round pick. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/fZgCjUZTt4
— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) May 5, 2022

Chicago Fire FC officially announced that they’ve acquired Schaumburg native Chris Mueller in a free transfer from Scottish Premier League club Hibernian F.C.. That club actually announced the move on Twitter on Wednesday, but the Fire didn’t make the move official until Thursday at 9 AM.

Mueller will take part in training with the Fire this morning in Bridgeview and will be available for Saturday’s match against Atlanta United FC, which you can see on WGN-TV, Channel 9 at 5 PM. He could be making his debut alongside Jairo Torres, who is expected to play a few minutes after joining the club from Atlas FC this week.

Since Mueller’s MLS rights belong to Orlando City SC, Chicago had to send that club $500,000 general allocation money split over the next two years, their 2023 MLS SuperDraft natural first round pick, along with MLS discovery rights to an unnamed player. Orlando also gets a percentage of a potential transfer fee for Mueller along with $150,000 of general allocation money if the winger hits certainly performance metrics.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Chris back to his hometown,” said Chicago Fire FC sporting director Georg Heitz in a statement released by the club. “Chris is a player who we are very familiar with and his addition, along with the recent arrival of Jairo Torres, will immediately provide more quality and attacking options to the squad.”

A standout at the University of Wisconsin, Mueller was originally selected by Orlando City FC with the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. He had 22 goals and 20 assists in 126 total matches for that club, including ten during the 2020 season that was split up due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mueller made 15 appearances for Hiberian F.C. after joining the SPL in January. He’s also made two appearances for the United States men’s national team, with a two-goal game against El Salvador on December 9, 2020.