Xherdan Shaqiri joins Chicago Fire from Lyon

LYON, France - Lyon sold attacking midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire for seven million euros ($8 million) on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old Switzerland international agreed to a three-year contract. Shaquiri will be a designated player whose salary will count only partially against the league’s salary cap.

Chicago said he is the most expensive transfer signing in the team’s history but did not specify the amount.

Lyon made a small profit after signing Shaqiri for 6 million euros ($6.9 million).

Shaquiri made just nine league starts and 11 appearances for Lyon this season, scoring two goals, against Troyes on Sept. 22 and Marseille on Feb. 1. He also appeared in five Europa League matches.

Shaquiri played for Basel (2009-12), Bayern Munich (2012-15), Inter Milan (2014-15), Stoke (2015-18) and Liverpool (2018-21) before signing with Lyon last August with a contract that had been slated to run until 2024.

He has 26 goals in 100 international appearances. scoring three goals against Honduras at the 2014 World Cup and one against Serbia at the 2018 tournament. Shaquiri also was on the Swiss roster for the 2010 World Cup and the last two European Championships.

Fire sporting director Georg Heitz was Basel’s sporting director from 2009-17.