Chicago Fire sign Venezuelan Defender Miguel Angel Navarro

As training camp gets underway in Florida, the Chicago Fire FC squad continues to grow.

The Fire announced today they’ve signed Miguel Angel Navarro, a 20-year-old left back from Venezuela. Navarro comes via transfer from Deportivo La Guaira, and is under contract through 2022 with club options for 2023 and 2024.

“Miguel is a promising, young left back with experience at the international level,” said Chicago Fire FC Head Coach Raphael Wicky in a news release. “He can contribute on both ends of the field and has the potential to develop into a very solid player in this league.”

Since turning pro in 2017, Navarro has made more than 60 appearances in Venezuela’s top division.

Internationally, he has nine caps for Venezuela’s youth national teams. He featured for Venezuela’s U-23 team in the Pre-Olympic Tournament, playing against Chile and Ecuador last week.

Navarro will occupy an international roster slot. Depending on the system and how Wicky wants to use him, Navarro will likely have to compete for playing time with Jonathan Bornstein and Andre Reynolds II.

There isn’t a ton of information out there about Navarro, so perhaps Fire Sporting Director Georg Heitz has uncovered a gem. Let us know what you think about the signing in the comments.