Chicago trades Harry Shipp to Montreal for allocation money

The Montreal Impact have struck a deal with Chicago to bring one of Major League Soccer's most talented young midfielders to Canada.

The Impact announced the acquisition of Harry Shipp on Saturday, bringing the playmaker aboard from the Fire in exchange for general and targeted allocation money.

Shipp, 24, has already featured in 66 MLS matches (55 starts) in his two-year career, netting 10 goals and racking up 14 assists in that time.

Those are modest numbers, sure, but they become more impressive considering Shipp's ability to procure them despite featuring for a porous Chicago side significantly lacking in attacking talent during his time with the club.

The talented playmaker, who was expected to be a central figure in the Fire's effort to rebuild under general manager Nelson Rodriguez and new head coach Veljko Paunovic, will now head to a Montreal side looking to maximize its winning potential while Didier Drogba is still in town.

"Pauno and I met with Harry on Saturday to give him the news," said Rodriguez. "Harry is a homegrown player and an obvious fan-favorite, which makes this trade more emotional than most. However, we believe this trade will prove to be beneficial for our club and for Harry’s career."