Hugo Cuypers Makes Record Transfer to Chicago Fire from Belgium
The Chicago Fire have made a significant move in acquiring striker Hugo Cuypers for a club-record fee of $12 million. Cuypers, 26, joins the team as a designated player from top-flight club KAA Gent in Belgium. Cuypers has a proven track record of scoring goals in the highly competitive Belgian first division, where he delivered an impressive 64 goals and 25 assists in 126 matches over the past three seasons with KV Mechelen and K.A.A. Gent. He has also received individual accolades, such as winning the league’s Golden Boot with 34 goals in 2022-23. Cuypers’ signing represents the Fire’s commitment to acquiring a top-quality striker in the prime of his career, with the potential to help elevate the team to one of the top clubs in MLS. His experience and goal-scoring ability will undoubtedly be valuable assets to the Chicago Fire as they continue to pursue success in the league.
The Chicago Fire have officially announced the acquisition of striker Hugo Cuypers for a club-record fee of $12 million. Cuypers, 26, joins the team as a designated player from KAA Gent, a prominent club in the Belgian top-flight league. As part of the agreement, Cuypers has signed a contract with the Fire through 2026, with an option for 2027.
“We are delighted to welcome Hugo Cuypers to the Club,” stated Fire sporting director Georg Heitz. “Our focus has been on bringing in a prime striker with a proven track record of scoring goals in a highly competitive league. Hugo has consistently been one of the top goal-scorers in the Belgian first division and we are confident that he will greatly contribute to our goal of becoming one of the top clubs in MLS.”
Cuypers has showcased his goal-scoring abilities in the Belgian first division, recording 64 goals and 25 assists in 126 matches over the past three seasons with KV Mechelen (2021-22) and K.A.A. Gent (2022-24). He earned the league’s prestigious Golden Boot award after scoring 34 goals in the 2022-23 season and has continued to impress with 17 goals and six assists in 34 matches across all competitions in the 2023-24 season.
In addition to his success in Belgium, Cuypers began his professional career with Belgium’s Standard Liege in 2016 and achieved a league title during his time with Olympiacos in Greece in 2020-21.
