Andrew Gutman traded to Chicago Fire after brief stint with Colorado Rapids
- Gutman made just 12 appearances for the Rapids
- 27-year-old returns to his hometown
- Miguel Navarro heads in the opposite direction to Colorado
Andrew Gutman has joined his hometown club Chicago Fire after spending half-a-season with Colorado Rapids.
The trade sees Gutman join his fifth different MLS side after joining FC Cincinnati on loan from Scottish giants Celtic from August 2019-December 2020 in the team's first two seasons in the league.
Gutman then joined the 2018 MLS Cup winners Atlanta United, where he was immediately sent out on loan to New York Red Bulls for the 2021 season. After returning from loan, Gutman became a mainstay in the Five Stripes' starting XI, making 46 appearances as a wing-back/full-back and scoring seven goals.
However, Gutman said goodbye to the Peach State and hello to Mile High as he was traded to the Rapids over the summer transfer window. The 27-year-old started 12 games for Colorado and notched one goal as the Rapids were unable to escape a 14th place finish in the Western Conference table.
Gutman is a native of Hinsdale, Illinois, a suburb just outside of Chicago, making the move a homecoming for him. Gutman also rose through the ranks with the Fire's reserve team in 2014 before joining the Charlotte Independence and later on Celtic in 2019.
"We are thrilled to welcome Andrew back to the Fire," Fire sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release. "Andrew is an attacking fullback who possesses the specific skill set that we were seeking for this position.
"Additionally, as a Chicagoan and former academy player, he understands what it means to represent this club and is extremely motivated to help the team achieve our goals in 2024."
The other side of the trade sees Miguel Navarro join the Rapids while the team is also set to receive up to $450k in General Allocation Money and a sell-on percentage. Navarro joined Chicago in 2020 and has since proven himself as one of the top full-backs in MLS, making over 100 appearances for the Fire.
"Miguel is one of the most talented, exciting young left backs in MLS," Colorado sporting director Fran Taylor said in a release. "We're excited to welcome him to the club, and we believe he can develop into a core piece of our team’s backline with his skillset."
Teams around the league will continue to make changes to their squads after the trade window opened on December 11 with free agency soon to follow on December 13.