Chicago Fire have agreed a deal to sign right-back Nicolas Hasler from Toronto FC for a fee of $50,000 with Jon Bakero going the other way.
The Fire have been in need of a new right-back and Hasler should slot straight into the first team. The Liechtensteiner started 11 games last season, contributing three assists. He signed for Toronto last summer, starting nine of the 20 matches played in 2017 and appearing in two playoff games.
Bakero heads to Toronto after the Fire made aggressive moves to acquire him in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Chicago sent goalkeeper Matt Lampson, $75,000 in General Allocation Money, $100,000 in Targeted Allocation Money and the 15th pick to Minnesota United in order to move up to the fifth pick and select Bakero.
Bakero, a native of Spain and former college star at Wake Forest, played just 75 minutes in four appearances with Chicago, and 45 of those minutes came in his first professional start last Saturday against FC Dallas. He also made three appearances for the USL's Tulsa Roughnecks, contributing two goals and an assist.
Chicago currently sit in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, four points off the final playoff spot. Toronto, meanwhile, are 10th in the East. The two teams play each other Saturday at Toyota Park in Chicago and again at BMO Field in Toronto next Saturday.
