The Chicago Fire have announced the appointment of Mikey Stephens as their head of recruitment, sources confirmed to GIVEMESPORT. Stephens, who previously served as the assistant general manager at the LA Galaxy under the highly regarded GM Will Kuntz, will be the first addition to the technical staff under the leadership of director of football and head coach Gregg Berhalter, who assumed his new roles earlier this month.

With experience playing for both the Fire and Galaxy during his career, Stephens transitioned into front office roles as a scout for the Fire in 2018-19 before joining U.S. Soccer and eventually the Galaxy, where he played a vital role in the team's rebuild. The Galaxy, under the guidance of Kuntz, finished second in the Western Conference this season and made significant signings like Gabriel Pec, Joseph Paintsil, and Miki Yamane, which propelled their campaign under coach Greg Vanney.

As Chicago looks to follow a similar path of revamping their squad, Stephens' appointment signals the beginning of a new era. The Fire, finishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference last season, are expected to make significant changes during the offseason, potentially adding Designated Players and Targeted Allocation Money slots to complement key players like Hugo Cuypers, Brian Gutierrez, Chris Brady, and Kellyn Acosta.

Social Media Reactions:
- "I hope Stephens does great for them, they need it."
- "Damn. Good hire for the Fire. Hate to lose him."
- "Stephens working under Kuntz, who is arguably the best Chief Soccer Officer in MLS right now, seems like a clever hire."
- "With Berhalter's connections, Stephens' recruitment expertise will be key for Chicago."
- "All of the old 'Fire Berhalter' tweets really make it confusing."

Stay tuned for further updates as the Chicago Fire continue their restructuring ahead of the upcoming MLS season.