Chicago Fire, Montreal Impact vie for Didier Drogba's services

The Didier Drogba transfer saga has taken another turn, as Montreal Impact president Joey Saputo admitted to speaking with the Ivorian last Friday.

Saputo conceded in an interview with Montreal sports radio Monday that his club has an interest in the ex-Chelsea star, who is currently without a club.

"This past Friday I had the pleasure of speaking directly to Didier about the opportunity of coming to Montreal," Saputo told TSN Radio 690.

Reports surfaced last week that the 37-year-old striker had been approached by several MLS clubs, with the Chicago Fire being favorites to secure his services since he was first placed on their Discovery List. The MLS employs the Discovery List as a means for clubs to express an interest in a player not under contract, with priority given to those who file the name first.

Despite conceding that the Fire will have the first crack at Drogba, Saputo said there are other ways to acquire the striker.

"Honestly, there hasn't been any other discussion with the league concerning Didier or even the aspect of Chicago, making a trade with them, looking to get their spot and whatnot. We're not at that point yet."

Saputo added: "I know that Chicago is working tremendously hard to try to bring Didier to (the Fire) and, as you know, Didier is a player that would do well in any market."

As several clubs reveal their plans to sign Drogba, who scored 104 Premier League goals in his two stints at Chelsea, both Saputo and Chicago Fire's chief operating officer, Atul Khosla, have shared their interests.

Even with all the interest from MLS clubs, there's no guarantee Drogba will opt for the North American top flight league, especially considering comments made this week that revealed his enthusiasm about the possibility of signing with Inter Milan.

More information on MLS's Discovery Process and the use of the Discovery List can be found here.