The Chicago Fire and Brian Gutierrez reached an agreement on a new five-year contract that will see the midfielder stay at his hometown club until 2028. The midfielder will now occupy a Homegrown U-22 Initiative slot.
“It has been exciting to watch Guti grow over the past four seasons with the Chicago Fire and become a very important player for the club,” said Chicago Fire sporting director George Heitz. “We take pride in rewarding our Homegrown players for their contributions to the club and this new contract recognizes the value Guti brings to the organization both on and off the field. We look forward to seeing his continued development in the coming years.
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Gutierrez was one of the bright spots in a disappointing 2023 season. He started a career-high 28 games, scoring twice and leading the team with nine assists.
“It’s a tremendous feeling to know that the club believes in me as a player and a person,” Gutierrez said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to build on that confidence and improve on the field, to always do my best for this club, for the fans and for this city.”
In a team that included the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, it was Gutierrez who proved to be the vital piece in midfield and in attack. When he wasn’t on the pitch, his absence was notable. He played 2,399 minutes in 2023, only trailing Rafael Czichos for the most minutes as a field player.
Having signed his first contract back in March 2020, since then Gutierrez has played 88 games for the Fire, 54 as a starter. He signed his second deal back in 2022, which was set to expire in 2026. His latest extension will keep him in Chicago for an additional two seasons.
“This new deal will help me succeed in the long run,” Gutierrez said. “I think it will give me a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge and I think it will overall help me as a person and as a player. I think I’ve matured a ton playing-wise, training-wise and as a player, just that maturity on and off the field.”