André Franco impresses Chicago Fire: “Talks ongoing with FC Porto” | OneFootball

Felipe Çelikkaya, assistant coach of the Chicago Fire, gave a long interview to Rádio Renascença this Thursday, in which he did not hold back on praising André Franco, currently on loan from FC Porto to the American team until the end of the calendar year 2025.

“I pushed hard for him to come here, especially since he wasn't playing in Porto, and he did very well until his injury. We intend to keep him. There are always conversations between Porto and the Chicago Fire. Then, based on these conversations, a definitive decision is made, but if he stays with us, I will be very grateful,” he stated.

Trained in Sporting's youth academy, André Franco moved to FC Porto in the summer of 2022, coming from Estoril, where he had demonstrated all the potential he was recognized for, in a deal valued at around four million euros for 90% of his rights.

The midfielder signed a contract valid until June 2027, but he couldn't establish himself at Dragão. After 71 official matches for the Porto team—scoring five goals and providing four assists—he went on loan to the Chicago Fire, not managing to convince the Italian coach Francesco Farioli.

In the USA, the 27-year-old player recorded four assists in six matches before suffering a right knee injury on October 1st in a 5-3 victory against Inter Miami, a match that required surgical intervention.

“Everything indicates that I will stay here”

In the same interview, Çelikkaya expressed his intention to continue on the bench of the Chicago Fire, after helping the team achieve the minimum goal of qualifying for the MLS playoffs, although they were eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia Union.

“Everything indicates that I will stay here, especially since I have a contract. There are practically no Portuguese people, but people look at our work with great respect,” he emphasized.

“Chelsea will have the opportunity to further polish this diamond that is Geovany Quenda”

To conclude, the 40-year-old coach praised Geovany Quenda, a young player he helped develop in Sporting's youth ranks and who already has an agreement to transfer to Chelsea in the next summer market for 50 million euros—a value that can rise to 51.5 million depending on the fulfillment of sporting objectives.

“The competitive level of the leagues is totally different. Naturally, he will have to undergo an adaptation process to the league, but he is also young, and he has time for this adaptation. I see this as an investment on Chelsea's part and an opportunity for the coach to further polish this diamond,” concluded the coach, whose resume includes stints at clubs like Benfica, Vitória SC, and Shakhtar Donetsk.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.