Chicago Fire to sign Montpellier defender Arnaud Souquet - report
By Chris Smith
French defender Arnaud Souquet is set to be released by Montpellier ahead of a move to the Chicago Fire, according to reports.
The 30-year-old right-back - capped extensively for France across various youth levels - is under contract at Montpellier until June 2023. However, French outlet L'Equipe reported Thursday that Souquet will be allowed to leave in order to sign a three-year deal with the Fire.
Should he complete his move, Souquet will provide a much-needed option at right-back for the Fire, who have said goodbye to both Boris Sekulic and Jhon Espinoza - the former is out of contract while the latter joined FC Lugano recently.
Souquet has spent the last three-and-a-half seasons in Ligue 1 with Montpellier following a move from Belgian side Gent, making 103 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing six assists.
Earlier in his career, Souquet represented the likes of Dijon and Nice having come through the Lille youth system.
Alongside signing Souquet, the Fire will now continue to plan for their second full season under head coach Ezra Hendrickson, who is aiming to guide the club back into the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Watch the story of Charlotte FC's journey to MLS in 90min's The Making of Charlotte FC, presented by DoorDash, on 90min channels now. Subscribe to our new US YouTube channel.