Chicago Fire sign defender Jonathan Dean from Birmingham Legion
By Chris Smith
The Chicago Fire have completed the signing of defender Jonathan Dean from USL Championship side Birmingham Legion.
Dean arrives on a one-year deal through the 2023 MLS season, with the Fire holding options on 2024 and 2025. The 25-year-old is set to offer depth at right-back behind fellow new signing Arnaud Souquet, after Chicago allowed both Jhon Espinoza and Boris Sekulic to leave this offseason.
“We started following Jonathan closely last summer and we are excited to welcome him to the Chicago Fire,” sporting director Georg Heitz said in a release. “He will bring a healthy competition to our outside back group and provide the team with much-needed depth in the upcoming season.”
Dean was picked 39th overall by Orlando City in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft after playing college soccer at Wofford College and University of Central Florida.
However, he never made a senior appearance for the club and quickly joined the Birmingham Legion, where he made 85 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing 16 assists. The Georgia Native impressed in 2022, earning a spot on the USL Championship All-League Second Team.
The Fire are preparing for their second season under head coach Ezra Hendrickson, who will be aiming to guide the club back into the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017.