Being in need of a striker, Chicago Fire decided to take a look around MLS instead of getting an international player. After weeks of search, Fire settled on Philadelphia Union’s veteran C.J. Sapong.
In exchange for Sapong, Union received $200,000 in 2019 General Allocation Money and $100,000 in 2020 Targeted Allocation Money. The amount could reportedly rise to $450,000 based on incentives.
The news was confirmed on Fire’s official social media.
“CJ brings a different skill set to our attacking options,” – said Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez in a statement. “We can now be more varied in how we attack.”
Union sporting director Ernst Tanner also issued a statement following Sapong’s departure, thanking the player for contributions to the team.
“CJ has produced many memorable moments in a Union shirt, and his efforts in the community have been admirable,” – said Tanner. “With the strong state of our forward depth chart, we believe that this is the best move for both CJ and for the Union at this time.”
C.J. Sapong started his career with lower-tier U.S. clubs before making an MLS debut with Sporting Kansas City in 2011. In 2015 he was traded to Philadelphia Union in exchange for a first-round draft pick.
Sapong’s career stats include 233 regular season MLS matches in which he scored 56 goals and provided 23 assists.
