Fire Sign Former Real Madrid Midfielder Alvaro Medran

Alvaro Medran with Valencia. Photo by Robbie Stephenson/JMP/Shutterstock

Chicago Fire didn’t wait for too long to find the replacement for German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who recently decided to retire from soccer. Fire announced on Thursday that they had acquired Spanish midfielder Alvaro Medran.

Chicago signed Medran, who is the product of Real Madrid’s youth academy, using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). The 25-year-old is signed through 2021 MLS season and has team options on his contract for 2022 and 2023.

“Álvaro is a player who was developed in Real Madrid’s youth system, graduating to play for the first team with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić,” – said Chicago Fire President and General Manager Nelson Rodríguez. “He had offers from other clubs, and we’re proud that he chose the Fire. Alvaro was at the Soldier Field announcement and immediately fell in love with the stadium and our fans. We welcome Álvaro to the Fire Family.”

Medran made two appearances with Real Madrid’s first team between 2014 and 2016, scoring one goal. He also had a loan stint with Getafe during the 2015/2016 La Liga season, playing 20 games and scoring twice.

In 2016, Alvaro Medran signed with Valencia, where he spent the next four years. The majority of his time with the club, however, saw him playing on loans, including stints with Alaves and Rayo Vallecano.  Medran became a free agent following the 2018/19 season after his contract with Valencia expired.