What Kellyn Acosta's Free Agent Journey Means for Him, the Fire and MLS

MLS free agency opened Dec. 13 and the Fire made it clear they wanted midfielder Kellyn Acosta, flying him into town on a private jet.

Upon his arrival, he toured the city, the site of the future entertainment center and Soldier Field (where he was greeted by a video board welcoming him to Chicago) and met with the coaching staff and others, including coach Frank Klopas and owner Joe Mansueto, to discuss their vision for the future. Afterward, Acosta and the Fire entourage dined at the upscale steakhouse Maple & Ash.

Acosta also took an interest in the team's philanthropic goals and discussed how he and the club could work in the community, a joint effort that has already resulted in the revitalization of a turf field at Gage Park that was revealed on Wednesday.

The Fire knew they had to go big to have a chance of signing Acosta after his departure from Los Angeles FC. A four-time major trophy winner and veteran of the U.S. men's national team, Acosta has also been courted by other teams.

But luxury accommodations in Chicago and likely elsewhere were just part of Acosta's free agency process — and not all of it was positive.

“It was definitely a tough process for me because it was the first time in my career that I was a free agent,” Acosta said. “There was a lot to sort out, a lot to think about, and it was also a combination of unease about where I was going to choose to be and also a nice feeling of being wanted.”

The Fire got what they wanted, signing Acosta on Feb. 13 to a three-year contract with a club option for 2027. According to the MLS Players Association, he earns $1,558,869 this year in guaranteed compensation.

Acosta's venture into free agency wouldn't stand out in other North American sports. Big-name players are courted every offseason as fans and media speculate about the stars' next homes.

In MLS, Acosta’s type of transfer is still a relatively new phenomenon. Free agency was introduced in 2015, and the changes in 2020 allowed for more freedom of movement. Acosta is one of the biggest names to change teams in MLS via intraleague free agency. His search for a new club has been one of the dominant storylines of the league’s offseason and has seemed like a sign of growth for the league.

Acosta has seen first-hand how free agency speculation adds to the unique timeline of MLS deals. The league mixes its own flavor (allocation money, local players) with that of foreign soccer (major interleague transfers, transfer windows) and other American sports (trades, drafts, salary cap) to create intrigue and interest.

Acosta recognizes how important this is to generating excitement and attention to the league. He knows sports fans eagerly await the offseason, wondering who goes where and how their team can create enough space under the salary cap to sign a new star.

“Soccer is a different sport, and what we’re doing here in MLS is very different than what others are doing in Europe,” Acosta said. “But if we want to go down the path of reproduction [moves] Like other sports, this could be something cool that fans could get involved with and really get excited about once the offseason starts.