Chicago Fire general manager Nelson Rodrίguez recently said that the club is working on adding players to their roster, and on Monday, he delivered. Fire announced that they have signed former United States international defender Jonathan Bornstein.
Bornstein, who made 38 appearances with USMNT, joins Fire after spending the previous two years with Israeli League side Maccabi Netanya.
To get Bornstein, Chicago had to pay $50,000 in Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to Columbus Crew in order to move to the top of MLS waiver order.
“We began pursuing Jonathan back in January but, unfortunately, his insertion into the lineup made him too invaluable to his former club,” – said Rodrίguez in a statement.”In addition to providing a steady presence and competition on the field, we believe Jonathan will be an excellent mentor for our younger players.”
Jonathan Bornstein started his career in MLS, having played with Chivas USA between 2006 and 2010. After a string of good performances in MLS, which included winning MLS Rookie of the Year and being selected in MLS Best XI, Bornstein caught the attention of Liga MX clubs and eventually signed with Tigres UANL. He also had stints with Atlante and Querétaro.
“Excited to be part of the Chicago Fire Family and returning to the MLS after almost a decade,” – said Bornstein. “My family and I are very grateful for the opportunity. Go Fire.”
