Report: Montreal Impact acquire Didier Drogba's rights from Chicago Fire, signing imminent

The Montreal Impact are set to acquire Didier Drogba after a trade with the Chicago Fire for his MLS rights, ESPN reports.

Drogba, 37, is expected to sign an 18-month contract valued at over $3 million per year, but the former Chelsea striker reportedly has not yet made it official.

Chicago held the rights to Drogba via Major League Soccer's discovery claim system, but ESPN reports the Impact traded a "substantial amount of targeted and regular allocation money" in excess of $100,000 for Drogba's rights.

Drogba's preference is reportedly for the French-speaking city of Montreal, but the Chicago Fire reportedly made a bid for the Ivorian striker.

This is the second time Chicago has been turned down by a star player, as the Fire were interested in the services of Jermaine Jones last year, but the U.S. midfielder opted to join the New England Revolution instead.

The MLS transfer window closes Aug. 6.