The silly season rumor mill is spinning. According to Ben Jacobs of GetMeSport, Atlanta United have interest in signing striker Breel Embolo. Yes, that Breel Embolo of red card against Argentina in the World Cup fame.

According to Jacobs, the Five Stripes are one of a couple of clubs interested in signing the 29-year-old Switzerland international, who could demand a transfer fee of around $17 million.

This is admittedly a weird one. Embolo is an experienced European striker who has had varied success around the top five leagues in his career but has also dealt with a host of injuries. At 29, he still has some gas in the tank, but would he fit in Tata Martino’s system?

Embolo scored 10 goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 last season. He joined from AS Monaco in 2025 for around $15 million.

There’s always a chance this is his agent getting his name out there during the transfer window to spark interest around the world. But it’s not out of the realm of possibility that this is legit seeing as Atlanta are clearly in the market for attackers.

Personally, this rumor doesn’t move me too much. What say you?

UPDATE 7/1: It’s now official. Saba moves to RSL along with a third-round SuperDraft pick.

Atlanta United’s summer roster overhaul appears to be commencing. According to the esteemed Tom Bogert, the Five Stripes are set to trade Saba Lobjandize to Real Salt Lake in exchange for $625,000 in guaranteed General Allocation Money with more in add-ons, while still being responsible for part of his budget charge.

Saba’s time in Atlanta will be remembered in two parts. His arrival at the club was electric as he won over the fans with his relentless energy and passion, not to mention a very good return in production. Unfortunately in the last few seasons, the goals dried up and his effectiveness dwindled noticeably.

His departure shouldn’t come as much of a shock to anyone as the club desperately needs to bring in new faces all over the field to try and rejuvenate the squad. Winger being one of the bigger needs.

This deal is interesting. We can’t fully judge it without knowing how much of Saba’s budget charge the team is on the hook for and how much room this creates to bring in more players. However, to receive a decent chunk of GAM for a player with two goals in MLS in the last 18 months seems very reasonable and perhaps favorable.

Hopefully this is just one of many moves to try and give this roster the changes it needs to turn the results around.

After a plethora of rumors linking the club to several center backs and a high-profile midfielder, we finally have some smoke emanating from the attacking area of the field.

According to Luiz Carlos Largo of ESPN Brazil, Atlanta United are preparing a bid for Alan Velasco of Boca Juniors.

Doug Roberson followed up the initial report, saying it lines up with his reporting. He says the way the deck could be shuffled is Latte Lath being sold to open up a DP spot for Koke to join, the Velasco (or someone of his caliber) to join on a TAM deal to fill the attacking void.

Velasco is still only 23 years old. He joined Boca Juniors from FC Dallas in 2025 for nearly $10 million. He has struggled in his time at Boca, with form and injuries. Despite that, if this report is true, it’s hard to envision Velasco being sold for a low enough transfer fee to make him a TAM player. Perhaps that means it’s loan deal of some kind?

Either way, it’s just nice to see a rumor for a player on the attacking side of the field. For now, this is just a vague rumor until something else emerges. The transfer mill appears to be kicking into high gear. We’ll keep you updated on any pertinent info.

UPDATE - 6/28: Doug Roberson reports that Atlanta United and Koke have mutual interest in getting a get done.

Silly season is kicking into high gear this week. We’ve already seen two legitimate reports linking Atlanta United to center backs. Now we have an interesting nugget out of Spain suggesting they could be trying to lure in a defensive midfielder.

According to Madrid-based outlet MARCA, the Five Stripes are trying to convince Atletico Madrid legend Koke to join them. They say that respected journalist Mateo Moretto went on local radio and said that Atlanta are trying to convince the 34-year-old midfielder to leave Atleti this summer and join them.

…"an MLS team has just inquired with Koke's representatives about his situation and the terms of his potential departure." The Italian journalist clearly explained the current situation: "The team is Atlanta United. They are trying to convince Koke to leave Atlético de Madrid immediately ."

On the surface, this both makes sense and is a bit questionable. The team has been in the market for a No. 6 for a while now. So, someone like Koke fits exactly what they are looking for.

However, financially is where things seem murky. The team has all three DP spots currently filled. Would a player of Koke’s pedigree accept a contract under the DP threshold? Could the team be willing to offload a current DP to make room?

There are too many questions to treat this less-than-concrete rumor too seriously. However, it’s still worthy of discussion since it’s a legitimate source reporting the link.

Personally, I wouldn’t put a ton of stock into this until a more substantial link is presented. The most interesting part of all this is that the team is even being put into a rumor like this for a well-known player. Usually they are linked to players from South America or Europe that are under the radar. Is this Mauricio Culebro’s influence beginning to take hold?

Let’s see if anything else materializes with this. For now, it’s nice to have something to talk and dream about.

Atlanta United could have their first signing of the summer soon. In the winter a rumor emerged linking Atlético Mineiro defender Junior Alonso to the club. While nothing happened at the time, the player has now played out the remainder of his contract and confirmed in an interview that his next stop is in MLS.

Reports out of South America say that Alonso and Atlanta have had an understanding in place for several months that he would sign for the club as a free agent this summer. Those reports appear to be backed up by these candid comments, although he doesn’t specifically mention Atlanta United as his next destination.

The now 33-year-old left-sided center back has been named to Paraguay’s World Cup squad and has 63 caps for his country.

On paper, he seems a direct replacement for Juan Berrocal, who is likely to leave the club after his loan expires this summer.

For now, this is still just a rumor, but there seems to be massive amounts of smoke emitting from it. Stay tuned.

AMB Sports and Entertainment announced on Wednesday that NWSL Atlanta has named Keith McCloat as the club’s new Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

The official press release details his responsibilities as:

As Chief Financial Officer, McCloat will oversee all day-to-day finance and operational support functions, driving accuracy, efficiency and responsiveness across financial planning, budgets, systems, reporting and business support services. Reporting to President of Soccer, AMBSE Mauricio Culebro, he will serve as a trusted financial and strategic advisor to Culebro and the full AMBSE leadership team, supporting short-term performance and long-term financial priorities for the club among other responsibilities. He will begin his tenure on Monday, May 11.

“As we continue to build the foundation of NWSL Atlanta 2028, we set out to identify the best candidate with the knowledge, experience and demeanor to lead the financial functions of our newest club,” said AMBSE Chief Executive Officer Rich McKay. “In addition to his extensive experience with the New York Mets, Keith’s attention to detail and passion for his craft was evident as we went through the interview process. We’re excited to welcome Keith to the organization and have full confidence he will excel as Chief Financial Officer. I’d like to thank our search committee, including the team at Sportsology, for their time and dedication to this process.”

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McCloat spent the last nine years as part of the New York Mets organization, where he most recently held the title of Senior Director of Financial Planning and Analysis.

“I am truly excited to join AMB Sports and Entertainment and become part of an organization with such an extraordinary culture and proven track record of building world-class franchises,” said McCloat. The opportunity to build and launch an NWSL club at such a pivotal moment for both women’s soccer and this city is truly an honor. Atlanta has proven soccer belongs here, and I look forward to carrying out Arthur Blank’s vision in support of that.”

McCloat, a native of Long Island, New York, joins a team that includes Club President Mauricio Culebro and Chief Business Officer DeAndre Duggins. Josh Blank revealed to Joe Patrick and other Atlanta soccer media members during a roundtable earlier this week that the club hopes to name a Chief Soccer Officer during the Men’s FIFA World Cup this summer or soon after.

In addition to the front office taking shape, the club’s branding and identity (logo, name, colors, etc.) is slated to be revealed some time in the fall.

The pieces are slowly coming together for the team’s inaugural season in 2028.

On the heels of reports that Atlanta United is close to acquiring Matias Galarza Fonda on loan from River Plate, we have another interesting rumor to discuss.

According to the esteemed Cesar Luis Merlo, the Five Stripes have put in a formal offer for Gremio attacking midfielder Franco Cristaldo.

This is interesting for many reasons. Clearly, the club cannot add both of these players with their current roster situation. Something would have to give in the form of a player on the roster leaving. There’s also the case of both players demanding high salaries, meaning it’s extremely unlikely both are coming here.

Cristaldo, a 29-year-old from Argentina, is a player Atlanta have been linked to in the past and someone they clearly covet. He’s also a more attack-minded player than Galarza Fonda.

Whether or not this rumor makes sense is up for debate, but when CL Merlo reports something, we can’t help but take notice.

It certainly seems like it’s either Cristaldo or Galarza Fonda, but not both, at least not in the short-term. Perhaps a negotiating tactic to force River Plate’s hand into getting the Galarza Fonda deal over the line? Anything is possible. Or maybe a legitimate backup plan in case that deal falls through.

Everything seems up in the air at this point. One thing that is certain, it doesn’t seem like this team is done making moves despite the season already being underway.

Atlanta United appears to be adding a midfielder to its roster soon. According to multiple reports out of South America, the Five Stripes are set to bring in River Plate midfielder Matías Galarza Fonda on loan.

Supposedly the deal will include a clause that automatically triggers a $3 million purchase option if Galarza Fonda appears in 50 percent of the matches he’s eligible to play in for Atlanta during the length of the loan.

The 24-year-old joined River for a transfer fee of around $5 million less than a year ago but has failed to live up to the price tag. Now he needs a move to secure playing time ahead of this summer’s World Cup, in which he hopes to play in with Paraguay.

He is capable of playing any midfield role. Where he would fit into Tata Martino’s plans remains to be seen.

This seems like an attempt to bring in a talented player with extremely high potential that hasn’t performed well of late. A strategy that worked exceptionally well in Tata’s first tenure with the likes of Josef Martinez and Yamil Asad.

Atlanta United have signed free agent forward Sergio Santos to a one-year deal with a team option through the entirety of 2027. He will occupy a supplemental roster spot.

Longtime MLS watchers will be well aware of Santos from stints at multiple MLS clubs since 2019. Santos has played a backup striker role at Philadelphia, Cincinnati and (very briefly) Houston.

Santos played 660 minutes last season across stints with Cincinnati and Houston. He scored two goals and delivered two assists. In his MLS career, he’s played in 156 matches, made 70 starts and scored 28 times.

Since he occupies a supplemental roster spot, he won’t count against the salary cap. This is a short-term rental for a break glass in case of emergency backup striker. Atlanta, of course, traded primary backup Jamal Thiaré to Columbus earlier this offseason.

Updated 2/17: This move is now official. The club announced the signing on Tuesday. Welcome to the club, Fafa!

Atlanta United is finally addressing its winger depth. Less than a week until opening day and the club looks set to bring in veteran MLS winger Fafa Picault, according to Tommy Scoops.

The 35-year-old is a bit of a journeyman around the league. If the move is completed, this will be the seventh different MLS side he has played for. Most recently, he was with Inter Miami’s cup-winning side. Over the last two seasons, he has amassed 19 goal contributions in total.

Atlanta’s depth at the winger position was severely lacking. Outside of Miguel Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk (who you could argue aren’t even true wingers), the only other players on the roster fighting for minutes in those spots were Luke Brennan, Saba Lobjanidze, and Santiago Pita.

Picault is an experienced player who shouldn’t have much issue adapting to whatever role Tata needs him to play. Obviously, the big question is, how much does he have left in the tank at his age? It seems like a rather low-risk signing on the surface in an attempt to squeeze out one more productive season out of someone at the end of their career.

Nevertheless, depth is important for every club. Fafa should be a nice addition to the squad. Hopefully he still has some goal contributions left in him, because this team desperately needs that from the winger position.

Atlanta United’s preseason may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the rumor mill stops spinning.

According to reports out of South America, the Five Stripes are interested in bringing River Plate midfielder Matías Galarza Fonda on loan.

Several rumblings popped up around Argentina about this link on Thursday, that were later corroborated by respected transfer sleuth Germán García Grova.

Galarza Fonda just turned 24 years old and was purchased for around $5 million by River Plate in the summer of 2025. Despite that high price tag, he has only appeared 10 times for the club since his arrival.

It appears that he is hoping for a move to gain playing time to help his chances of making Paraguay’s World Cup team. He has 13 caps for his national team alongside Miguel Almirón. He is also from Asunción, just like Miggy.

With the departure of Bartosz Slisz in the offseason, the club are on the hunt for a dynamic midfielder. However, Galarza Fonda appears to be more of a box-to-box type of player than a pure holding midfielder. How that type of player would fit into Tata’s plans remains to be seen.

This rumor is still in its infancy and is far from concrete. But it’s obviously something worth talking about as we wait for real soccer to begin. We’ll keep an eye on this and update you if there’s any positive movement.

Atlanta United has signed its second U22 Initiative player of the winter. The club announced today that it has signed fullback Elías Báez from San Lorenzo.

The 21-year-old primary plays as a left back and could compete for a starting job immediately.

“Elías has emerged as one of the best young defenders in Argentina over the past couple of seasons and we’re pleased that he has chosen Atlanta United as the next step in his career,” Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson said. “He’s going to bring energy and toughness and fits well with our style of play. We look forward to welcoming him to the club and integrating him into our group.”

Báez becomes the second U22 player to join Tata Martino’s evolving squad after the addition of Tomás Jacob from Necaxa earlier in the offseason.

The young Argentine defender has appeared 52 times for San Lorenzo in the last two seasons. So, while he may be young, he is not inexperienced by any means.

This approach to buying U22 players presents a change in strategy as the club previously didn’t make going after these types of players a priority.

It’s clear that depth at the fullback position is something the club wanted to address this offseason and it appears to have done so.

There’s still a few weeks for the Five Stripes to make changes to its roster before the 2026 season begins. Let’s see if there are any more big moves on the horizon.

Just when you thought he was out, they pulled him back in.

Atlanta United announced on Thursday that club legend Brad Guzan is returning in a new hybrid role that will see him act as both Club Ambassador and Sporting Advisor.

After calling time on his illustrious playing career at the end of last season, Guz returns to help out the club he’s been an integral part of since 2017, serving in this new role under Chris Henderson.

“We are honored to keep Brad in the Atlanta United family,” said Chris Henderson, Atlanta United Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director. “Brad is uniquely positioned to add value to our organization while he continues to develop his professional skillset in this next phase of his career. The breadth of Brad’s role will allow him to combine his championship experience as a player with an unmatched institutional knowledge of our club to positively impact our organization.”

On the sporting side of things, Guzan will spend time learning all facets of the club from the scouting department to youth development. He will add his expertise to each area of the club while also gaining experience for his future in the sport off the field.

As an Ambassador, he will be a big part of the team’s content production team. Adding to his experiences on TV with Turner Sports and other outlets, he will bring a new voice the club’s media department. He’ll also serve as an ambassador for the club’s Unified team.

Culture, or a lack thereof, has been a big talking point around Atlanta United circles over the last few years. Bringing back a legend like Guz to influence the club in several ways can only be a positive thing for the cultural growth heading into the future.

Per MundoDeportivo and The Athletic’s Tom Bogert, FC Barcelona and USYNT midfielder Adrian Gill is set to join Atlanta United. If it matters to you, Five Stripe Final can confirm their reporting.

The 20-year-old midfielder would join the first team, but would occupy a supplemental roster spot. In layman’s terms, he won’t count against the salary cap.

This is Atlanta United taking a flyer on a La Masia alum who’s dealt with a number of injury problems. Gill joined La Masia in 2018, however, in 2023, he tore his ACL. In 2025, he missed months of action due to another serious knee injury. He never played for Barcelona’s first team and spent minimal time with Barca B. He spent time on loan at Cornella in the Spanish fourth division. He’s made seven appearances for the USYNT.

Essentially, Atlanta has added something close to a homegrown player with the pedigree of coming up in the sport’s most famous academy. It’s a low-risk, potentially high-reward move. Gill will likely spend time with the 2s this year in addition to the first team.

Atlanta United are in search of defensive midfielder and it appears their attention has focused towards England.

Respected journalist Germán García Grova, who has reported on plenty of Five Stripes transfers lately, is at it again by dropping a nugget in our laps on Wednesday.

He says that Atlanta have made an official offer to sign Guido Rodríguez from West Ham.

This apparently comes on the heels of La Liga side Valencia trying and failing to acquire the well-traveled midfielder via a loan move.

Rodríguez, 31, is a highly-decorated player that has played all over the world. In addition to his Premier League experience, he’s been with clubs like Real Betis in La Liga, and played over 100 matches with Club América in Liga MX.

Adding on to his impressive club career, he’s also appeared 30 times for the Argentina national team. He was a member of the 2022 World Cup-winning squad, in which he appeared in their win over Mexico in the second group match of the tournament.

With the departure of Bartosz Slisz, the club have openly admitted to be on the search for a lynchpin type of midfielder that Tata Martino can build around. Rodríguez seems to fit this mold.

The big question is, how can Atlanta get this deal done with all three of their Designated Player slots already filled? It is reported that his annual salary is just shy of $5 million. To fit him onto the roster, one of a few things must occur. He would need to agree to take a massive pay cut. The club could work some kind of Inter Miami-type magic and get him on a team-friendly loan deal. Or, the most unlikely scenario, unload one of their DPs to make room.

Clearly there are still massive questions to be answered about this rumor, despite it making logical sense in terms of positional fit.

We’ll keep an eye on this and update if anything major happens.

Independiente Santa Fe announced on Sunday that it has completed the signing of Edwin Mosquera from Atlanta United. The deal is done as Mosquera started a league match for the club immediately after the announcement.

This marks the end of a four-season run with Atlanta for the U22 Initiative winger, who was signed back in 2022.

During his time with the Five Stripes, Mosquera appeared in 59 matches, scoring six goals and adding four assists.

The 24-year-old was in the midst of a loan move with Millonarios in his home country, before agreeing to terminate that deal to be able to complete this transfer.

This move opens up a valuable U22 Initiative spot that the club can now utilize to continue to revamp its roster. It remains to be seen if and when that spot could be used, but the option is now on the table for Chris Henderson and his staff.

Mosquera’s time in Atlanta was ultimately a disappointing one. While he did show flashes of his electric pace and explosive 1-v-1 ability, his final product was often found lacking.

Nevertheless, we wish Edwin good luck in the rest of his career and thank him for his time at the club.

Ronald Hernández is returning to Atlanta United for a sixth season. The club announced today that it has re-signed the Venezuelan international to a one-year contract with an option for 2027.

This news comes after Hernández’s contract option was declined after last season. After going through the free agent process, he decided to return to the club, presumably at a lower salary that he was previously making.

The defender returns to a squad that has an uncertain outlook at his position of right back. Brooks Lennon also had his contract option declined after last season, leaving the starting spot wide open.

So far this offseason, the only player brought in who is capable of playing the position is U-22 Initiative signing Tomás Jacob from Necaxa, who is able to play in midfield, at center back, and right back.

More than likely, Hernández is being brought back for depth and chemistry purposes. His ability to fill in an back line position in a pinch is very useful. He’s also good friends with several players on the team, which helps with the squad’s overall morale.

What are your thoughts on the news? Let us know in the comments.

It was a nightmare of a season for Atlanta United and Miguel Almirón in 2025. Everything that could go wrong, pretty much did. However, the light at the end of the tunnel is a familiar one in the form of Tata Martino.

Everyone will be hoping that Tata’s return will light a spark under everyone at the club, including the player he has the most history with on the team.

You don’t have to remind Five Stripes supporters how magical of time 2017 and 2018 was. The iconic Argentine manager leading a youthful and exciting squad to an MLS Cup was the talk of the town and all of MLS. At the forefront of that squad was Miggy, a player a lot of people were calling the best player in the entire league during that span.

Fast forward six years and Miggy’s return was not at all what everyone hoped it would be. Who knows if Tata coming back can unlock Miggy to become a dynamic impactful force again. However, speaking in an interview with Olé, Atlanta’s No. 10 revealed just how much the returning Tata means to him.

“Tata is like a father to me,” Almirón told Olé. “I always said it. I'm very happy because he returned to Atlanta, he returned home; I think he feels that way too. I'm very happy to be able to work with him again.”

Make sure to go read the full interview where he discusses a multitude of topics like the World Cup and how much MLS has changed in the time he was in England.

There are many doubts surrounding Atlanta United heading into 2026 and a big one is just how effective an aging Miggy can be. We can only hope Tata and him reuniting is enough to bring out whatever magic remains.

In a rapid fire question and answer segment to conclude the interview Miggy was asked both who is the best coach he’s ever had and who is the best player he’s ever shared the field with. His answers?

Tata Martino and Josef Martinez.

The first major departure of the offseason has happened. Atlanta United announced today that Bartosz Slisz has completed a permanent transfer to Brøndby IF of the Danish Superliga.

Slisz leaves the club after two seasons in MLS. He made 62 appearances for the Five Stripes during that time, scoring four goals and adding three assists.

Financial details of the deal were not publicly disclosed, but reports out of Europe suggest that the Five Stripes will receive a transfer fee of over three million euros.

That fee would be around the same amount the club paid to bring in the midfielder a few years ago.

While the return on investment would be minimal, the move opens up a significant amount of salary cap space for the club to acquire more players and build the squad to fit Tata Martino’s vision.

Bartek‘s tenure in Atlanta will be remembered as a complicated one. He was always an energetic and passionate figure in the team, no one can question that. What’s debatable was his tangible impact on the squad in relation to his budget charge. No matter your opinion on that topic, it’s clear Slisz gave everything he had to the club when on the field.

There’s still plenty of offseason and silly season remaining to fully judge what the team’s midfield for 2026 will look like. However, as things stand, Steven Alzate and Jay Fortune appear to be the two players to benefit the most from this move. We can only wait and see how the rest of the winter plays out.

Atlanta United have officially announced the signing of Tomás Jacob to a U-22 initiative deal through 2029 with options for the 2029-30 and 2030-31 seasons. Tom Bogert of The Athletic reported the transfer fee is around $5 million. Since Jacob is a U-22 initiative signing, his cap hit will only be $200k. He will occupy a senior roster spot and take up an international spot.

As Rob Usry pointed out in an earlier write-up, the 21-year-old arrives from Liga MX’s Necaxa after a short stint. He made 17 appearances after arriving this summer. Prior to Necaxa, he made 50 appearances for Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys, Tata Martino’s former club.

Jacob appears to be very versatile, with the ability to play in midfield and along multiple spots on the back line. The indication early on seems to be that he’ll operate as a right back for Atlanta United. However, don’t be too surprised if he steps in as a right-sided center back in a back three at some point during his time in Atlanta.

Atlanta now has just one U-22 slot available. Jacob is the second consecutive signing with ties to Newell’s, where Martino played, coached and is considered a club legend.