BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. (Oct. 10, 2019) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that it has acquired former Real Madrid midfielder Álvaro Medrán ahead of the 2020 season utilizing Targeted Allocation Money (TAM). The Spanish midfielder will be added to the Fire’s roster in January 2020, pending receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). He will be under contract with the Fire through the 2021 season with Club options for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
“Álvaro is a player who was developed in Real Madrid’s youth system, graduating to play for the first team with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić,” said Chicago Fire President and General Manager Nelson Rodríguez. “He had offers from other clubs and we’re proud that he chose the Fire. Alvaro was at the Soldier Field announcement and immediately fell in love with the stadium and our fans. We welcome Álvaro to the Fire Family.”
Medrán joins the Fire after spending the past five seasons in the Spanish first division, La Liga, competing for Real Madrid, Getafe, Valencia, Deportivo Alavés and Rayo Vallecano. During that stretch, he made 91 appearances across all competitions in Spain, scoring 11 goals.
“I’ve known Álvaro since his time with Real Madrid and I’ve always enjoyed his style of play,” said Chicago Fire Head Coach Veljko Paunović. “Every team in the league is looking for a player like Álvaro. He’s a player that has experience but is still young and in his prime. He was developed at one of the best teams in the world and wants to come here and give his best. He also fits our style very well. He’s capable of scoring goals, assisting, keeping the ball and has a high tactical understanding. We can’t wait to start working with him.”
After progressing through Real Madrid’s youth system, Medrán signed with the club’s first team ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and spent that season playing alongside the likes of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo and reigning Ballon d’Or recipient Luka Modrić. In his first season with the club, he made six appearances as Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The following season, Medrán was loaned to Getafe and made 20 La Liga appearances (16 starts), before signing a four-year contract with Valencia ahead of the 2016-17 campaign. In his first season with Valencia, Medrán appeared in 20 games for the club, including 16 in league play and four in the Copa del Rey. In his second year with Valencia, Medrán spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan with Deportivo Alavés, where he appeared 21 times across all competitions.
More recently, Medrán spent the 2018-19 La Liga campaign on loan with Rayo Vallecano, where he made 22 appearances across all competitions.
At the international level, Medrán earned three caps for Spain’s U-19 side – featuring in European qualifying matches against Greece and Croatia. He also earned one cap for Spain’s U-21 side, featuring in a friendly match against Belgium.
Transaction: The Chicago Fire Soccer Club acquire midfielder Álvaro Medrán on Oct. 10, 2019.
Name: Álvaro Medrán
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 156 lbs.
Date of Birth: March 15, 1994
Birthplace: Dos Torres, Spain
Citizenship: Spain
Last Club: Valencia (La Liga)
