Reinforcement in the middle, versatility and experience in the offensive sector. This is, basically, what CF Montreal sought by acquiring midfielder Fabian Herbers, from the Chicago Fire.
Posted at 1:06 p.m.
Updated at 2:10 p.m.
The 31-year-old veteran arrives in Montreal with eight years and more than 200 MLS matches under his boots. The German signed an agreement for two seasons, until 2026.
Gabriel Gervais, president and CEO of the CFM, describes him as a “versatile player,” who can play “as a central midfielder or in a more advanced role behind the striker.”
“He is recognized for his work ethic and his team play,” underlines Gervais. He is a veteran who will be a good example for the young players on our team. »
In six seasons with the Chicago Fire, Herbers played 9,059 minutes in 142 season games, including 105 as a starter. He also collected 15 goals and 15 assists.
He was selected in the 2016 MLS draft by the Philadelphia Union. He played 53 games in three seasons with the Union until 2018.
Herbers, who has his American green card, will therefore not occupy an international place in the Montreal squad.
He began his junior career in 2008 in the Netherlands, before continuing it in Germany, then joining the Creighton University Bluejays in Nebraska from 2013 to 2015.
A versatile liner
Herbers is the first acquisition of what promises to be a busy winter at CF Montreal. The club still has 10 places to fill in its squad of 30 players.
As Gervais says, with the German, Laurent Courtois has just added a very versatile joker to his deck of cards. The CFM may talk about him as a central midfielder who can also play as an attacking midfielder, but he also has a lot of experience as a right winger. According to Transfermarkt, he has played 61 matches in this position in his career, compared to 31 in central midfield, and 27 as an attacking midfielder.
We also saw him up front, on the left wing, as well as in all other midfield positions.
This positional flexibility is an asset that Laurent Courtois has often said he appreciates in his players, and it is a quality in Herbers which helps to partly explain his acquisition by the Bleu-blanc-noir.
Will he be the starter? That remains to be seen. Because with Nathan Saliba, Samuel Piette, Bryce Duke, Caden Clark, Dominic Iankov and Alessandro Biello, we felt the midfield was well stocked. But taking a look at the coming season, we understand that understudies will be necessary. Particularly during the Gold Cup, from June 14 to July 6, in which his new Canadian colleagues in the middle, Saliba and Piette, could participate. MLS will not be on hiatus during this period. Someone will need to take on the workload left vacant.
In 2024, Herbers was named captain of the Fire on several occasions, having been its longest-serving active member. It was also last season that he had his best offensive campaign since his draft season, with 3 goals and 4 assists, in addition to 2037 minutes, his highest career total.
Fabian Herbers may be 31 years old, but his recent statistics seem to show that he still has some good soccer in his legs.
