Gutiérrez under contract with hometown club until 2028 as Homegrown U-22 Initiative Player
CHICAGO (November 14, 2023) – Chicago Fire FC announced today that the Club has signed midfielder Brian Gutiérrez to a new five-year contract. Gutiérrez will now occupy a Homegrown U-22 Initiative slot. His contract with the Fire runs until 2028.
“It has been exciting to watch Guti grow over the past four seasons with the Chicago Fire and become a very important player for the Club,” said Chicago Fire FC Sporting Director Georg Heitz. “We pride ourselves on rewarding our homegrown players for their contribution to the club and this new contract recognizes the value Guti brings to the organization both on and off the pitch. We look forward to seeing its continued development over the coming years.”
Since becoming the Club’s 16th homegrown signing on 9 March 2020, Gutiérrez has played 88 matches (54 starts) for the Chicago Fire first team. He started a career-high 28 games in 2023, leading the team with nine assists and scoring two goals as a midfielder. Gutiérrez became the third homegrown player to lead the team in assists in a season and just the fifth Fire player to record nine or more assists in a single season since 2012.
“It’s a great feeling to know that the club believes in me as a player and as a person,” Gutiérrez said. I’m grateful for the opportunity to build that confidence and improve on the pitch, to always do my best for this club, for the fans and for this city.”
After the 2023 MLS regular season, Gutiérrez was named the club’s most valuable player. Earlier in the year, the Chicago native was selected in the MLS 22 Under 22, presented by BodyArmor, in fifth place, marking the second year in a row that a Fire player has made the top five of the prestigious ranking. His 2,399 minutes played in 2023 trailed only captain Rafael Czichos as a player on the court. Additionally, his 28 starts were tied with Czichos for the most starts by a player on the field this season.
Internationally, Gutiérrez has represented the U.S. Men’s National Teams at the U-16 through U-23 levels. Most recently, Gutiérrez was a member of the US Men’s Olympic National Team that played against Mexico and Japan in a series of friendlies in preparation for the 2024 Olympics.
It is Gutiérrez’s third contract with the Chicago Fire after he signed a second deal in 2022 that ran through the 2026 season. With the new contract, Gutiérrez becomes the third U-22 initiative player on the Chicago Fire roster, alongside midfielder Federico Navarro and striker Georgios Koutsias.
Transaction: Chicago Fire FC have signed midfielder Brian Gutiérrez to a new MLS contract that runs through the 2028 season. Gutiérrez will occupy a Homegrown U-22 Initiative slot.
Name: Brian Gutierrez
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 141 pounds.
Date of birth: June 17, 2003
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Birthplace: Berwyn, Illinois
Nationality: USA