Chicago Fire GM: Nantes offer for David Accam rejected

Chicago Fire designated player David Accam will remain with the Major League Soccer club after an unsolicited deadline-day approach from French side Nantes, general manager Nelson Rodriguez said on Thursday.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Ligue 1 club were offering more than $3 million for the player.Accam's contract is guaranteed through next season (with a team option for 2018) and a Fire spokesman did not comment on Wednesday as to whether the MLS club would match the offer.

Rodriguez told reporters on Thursday that both club and player rejected the offer, but did not discuss how much the Fire would be offering Accam during new contract negotiations.

"We rejected that offer first, although it was significant, [because] we didn't think it was necessarily his full market value," Rodriguez said. "But more importantly, we rejected it because we see David becoming a key piece of our team.

"As of Aug. 1, we have been involved in discussions with David's representation about a contract extension that would keep him contractually to our services for more than his current contract, which is guaranteed next year with an option for 2018, and we're looking to extend that all the way through 2020."

"He loves the city. He loves the club." https://t.co/vJ15Wwt2sJ#cf97 pic.twitter.com/HVmyuwwXat

- Chicago Fire (@ChicagoFire) September 2, 2016

Accam has six caps and one goal for Ghana since his 2014 debut and is currently on international duty.

The 25-year-old arrived in Chicago in early 2015 after stints with clubs in England and Sweden and has made 41 MLS appearances.

He has scored 17 goals, 10 of them this season, but Chicago have struggled mightily during his stay, finishing last among the league's 20 clubs in 2015 and on pace to do the same again this year.

"David has directly expressed a desire to also remain in Chicago," Rodriguez said. "He loves the city. He loves the club. I believe he's been playing his best soccer, especially the second half of the year. He's taken a much more visible and larger leadership role on the field and in the locker room."

Rodriguez did not say when a new deal would be finalized.

"The conversations and actual negotiations that we've had have been extremely positive and productive," he said. "[David's] away on FIFA duty, his representative is getting married in September, so we'll see if we can get those things tied up before the wedding, if not we'll continue soon thereafter."