Nicolas Gaitan doesn’t fill all the Fire’s needs. They could use help on the back line and maybe some more depth.
That said, Gaitan will be expected to help plenty.
The Fire announced Thursday they have signed the creative midfielder from China’s Dalian Yifang on a free transfer. Gaitan, 31 was signed with Discretionary Targeted Allocation Money, and is under contract through the end of the season with a team option for 2020.
The transfer, rumored for weeks, could end the Fire’s long-term search for a playmaking central midfielder. At least, that’s the hope for Gaitan, who spent his best years with Benfica in Portugal and had also played for Boca Juniors (Argentina) and Atletico Madrid (Spain) before moving to China.
“We have wanted to add another attacking piece and believe Nico’s dynamism and play-making ability could be a perfect fit,” Fire president and general manager Nelson Rodrίguez said in a news release.
Gaitan joins a Fire team that already had plenty of attacking options.
Along with Gaitan, coach Veljko Paunovic will have to find a way to get the most from Przemysław Frankowski, Djordje Mihailovic and Aleksandar Katai. Forwards Nemanja Nikolic and C.J. Sapong will also be counted on up front, while Bastian Schweinsteiger and Dax McCarty have played deeper in the midfield to begin the season.
Indeed, the lineup will be a puzzle when Gaitan debuts, though it’s unclear when he will play with the Fire for the first time. But it’s a puzzle Paunovic is likely looking forward to solving.
“Nicolás is a player that can destabilize any defense in this league,” Paunović said in a news release. “He has an enormous amount of talent and is still in his prime. We’re eager to get the most out of his attacking creativity.”
That attacking creativity couldn’t hurt the Fire (0-1-1), who host Seattle at noon Saturday at SeatGeek Stadium. Through two games, Sapong has scored the Fire’s only two goals as chances and build-up have mostly been squandered.
“I will say that it’s not easy to create opportunities,” Paunovic said after last Saturday’s game against Orlando City. “We’re playing very good. We have to (just get more precision in the final third) and that’s going to come. That’s going to come.”
Gaitan has a history of helping an attack.
After beginning his professional career in 2008 with Boca Juniors, Gaitan moved to Benfica in 2010. He made 152 appearances for the team, scored 25 times, and was part of three league champions. In 2016, Gaitan was sold to Atletico Madrid, but he didn’t make as much of an impact for one of the top teams in Europe, playing 29 times before moving to China in February of last year.
Gaitan has also made 19 appearances for the Argentina national team.
He will be added to the Fire roster once he gets his P-1 visa and international transfer certificate. The Fire also paid Seattle $50,000 in General Allocation Money for Gaitan’s discovery rights.
