Montreal Impact acquire midfielder Djordje Mihmailovic from the Chicago Fire

MONTREAL — The Montreal Impact have acquired midfielder Djordje Mihailovic from the Chicago Fire, signing the U.S. international to a three-year contract with an option year using targeted allocation money.

The 22-year-old did not come cheap. The Impact is sending Chicago US$800,000 in general allocation money, split between 2021 and 2021.

The deal could cost Montreal another $200,000 in future general allocation money if Mihailovic meets certain performance-based metrics with the Impact. Chicago will also retain a percentage of a future transfer fee if Mihailovic leaves Montreal for a non-MLS club.

“We’re really happy with the acquisition of this young American international player that fits in our sporting project,” Impact sporting director Olivier Renard said in a statement. “We add to the roster a creative and versatile player in the attacking department.”

Mihailovic played 73 games (with 45 starts) in four seasons with Chicago with seven goals and 15 assists. He was signed as a homegrown player from the Chicago Fire academy in January 2017.

“Djordje has represented the Fire for nearly a decade and was the first academy player to break into the first team and consistently make an impact,” Chicago sporting director Georg Heitz said in a statement.

“While this was certainly a difficult decision, Djordje was entering the final year of his contract and was ready for a new challenge.”

The five-foot-10 153-pound Illinois native has won six U.S. caps, including two games at the 2019 Gold Cup, and scored in a January 2019 friendly against Panama.

The Impact acquired Canadian defender Kamal Miller in an expansion draft deal earlier this week.

Montreal also spent $600,000 in general allocation money and gave up a second-round draft pick to get forward Mason Toye in an October deal with Minnesota.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2020

The Canadian Press