Chicago Fire signs Atlas midfielder Jairo Torres as Young Designated Player

The Chicago Fire has completed the transfer of Atlas midfielder Jairo Torres as a Young Designated Player, the team announced on Saturday.

Torres signed a four-year contract, and will join the Fire for $6 million following the end of the Clausura season in May, pending a medical and receipt of his P-1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC). He is the third Designated Player on the Fire's 2022 roster, alongside Xherdan Shaqiri and Gaston Gimenez.

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"Jairo has been one of the most productive young players in Liga MX and was an integral part of Atlas' championship-winning team in 2021," Fire sporting director Georg Heitz said. "We expect him to be a very important and exciting player for the club and look forward to welcoming him to Chicago on May 1."

Torres, 21, is a product of Atlas' academy, and made his professional debut as a 16-year-old in 2016. The Guadalajara-native made 109 league and cup appearances for his hometown club, scoring eight goals.

So far this season, Torres has made 28 appearances across all competitions, starting in 27 matches and scoring two goals.

Torres featured for multiple youth national teams with Mexico, and was named the winner of Golden Ball at the 2017 CONCACAF Under-17 Championship. He made his lone appearance for Mexico's senior team in October of 2019 against Trinidad & Tobago.