The Chicago Fire signed Bulgarian U21 player Stanislav Ivanov
With the Major League Soccer season coming to a close, the offseason is beginning to take shape for clubs across the league. The Chicago Fire have wasted little time getting to work with signing the players they want to bring in ahead of the 2021 campaign. Their latest signing is Bulgarian U21 player Stanislav Ivanov who joins the Fire from Levski Sofia in the Bulgarian first division. Ivanov becomes the latest young talent to join the Fire.
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An offensive weapon
The 21-year-old winger has spent his entire career up to this point with Levski Sofia. During his time with the Bulgarian club, Ivanov scored 11 goals in the first division and 13 in all competitions. His best season to date was the 2019/20 campaign when he registered nine goals and five assists in 27 appearances.
On the international level, Ivanov recently represented Bulgaria at the U21 level during the Euro U21 Championship qualifying. In 10 appearances, the winger scored four goals and registered two assists.
His best performance during the qualifying campaign was a two-goal performance against Poland. Bulgaria finished third in their group which unfortunately did not result in qualification for the U21 Euro finals in March.
More young talent
Ivanov joins Chinoso Offor and Jhon Espinoza as the three young players the Fire have signed so far this offseason. Offor had a strong showing in Lativa for FK RFS during 2020 with six goals and three assists. Espinoza is an up and coming defender from Ecuador who captained his home country at the 2019 FIFA U20 World Cup. Now with the signing of Ivanov, the Fire continue to show they are taking the future of the club very seriously.
With Ivanov signing a contract through the 2023 season, the Fire certainly sees him as a player who can develop into a potential long term member of the squad. He will provide depth for the upcoming 2021 season on the wings and will compete for playing time with Ignacio Aliseda and Przemysław Frankowski.
On the international stage, Ivanov should immediately benefit from joining the Fire as he looks to be included in Bulgaria’s senior national team ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifying. He is a player who could become be one of the many MLS players who represent their respective countries at the senior international level.
Overall, this is another exciting prospect for the Fire. Ivanov will be a player to watch this season as he adjusts to playing in MLS. He appears to be a player who can make an impact offensively when given the opportunity as he is coming off a strong 2019/20 campaign. Keep an eye on the Fire’s latest addition in 2021.