Recapping and grading the summer transfer window

The ups and downs of another eventful window.

I wasted two hours of my life on Atlanta United’s 0-0 borefest against Toronto yesterday. I will not be wasting any more of it trying to analyze it. If you joined me in sacrificing your sanity and attention to that mess, you know what happened. If you didn’t, consider yourself lucky and laugh at the rest of us.

Instead of my usual post-match thoughts, this seems like a good time to look back on the summer transfer window that just closed and give some opinions on it. But first, here’s a breakdown of every move the club made this summer.

What happened in the summer transfer window?

• Atlanta began the window by waiving Mateusz Klich to make room on the roster and allow him to go back home to finish his career.

• The first new recruit of the summer was 27-year-old center back Enea Mihaj. The club signed him as a free agent and gave him a contract through the 2028 season, with an option for 2029.

• To make room on the center back depth chart, the club traded Homegrown player Efrain Morales to CF Montreal in exchange for $450,000 guaranteed General Allocation Money (GAM), with the possibility for the fee to reach up to $800,000.

• The revolving door on the back line continued soon after when the club announced the acquisition of 26-year-old Juan Berrocal. The center back joined on 12-month loan from Getafe.

• Homegrown defender Noah Cobb was sent on loan to the Colorado Rapids in exchange for $100,000 of 2025 GAM. The Rapids hold an option to purchase him permanently at the end of the deal.

• Atlanta sent an international slot to Inter Miami and received forward Leo Afonso and $225,000 in GAM.

• Luis Abram’s contract was bought out.

• Midfielder Steven Alzate became the biggest move of the summer, joining on a permanent transfer from Hull City for a reported fee of around $2 million. He signed a five-year contract through the 2030 season.

• 17-year-old Cooper Sanchez signed a Homegrown deal that will see him join the first-team roster in 2026.

• Nyk Sessock signed with the first-team from ATL UTD 2 to finish out this season with an option for 2026.

• Derrick Williams transferred to Reading FC.

Atlanta United’s roster as of 8/25/2025

Goalkeepers (3): Josh Cohen, Brad Guzan, Jayden Hibbert    

Defenders (10): Pedro Amador, Juan Berrocal^, Dominik Chong Qui, Noah Cobb~, Matthew Edwards, Stian Gregersen, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Enea Mihaj, Nyk Sessock

Midfielders (11): Miguel Almirón, Steven Alzate, Jay Fortune, Saba Lobjanidze, Alexey Miranchuk, Edwin Mosquera`, Tristan Muyumba, Will Reilly, Cooper Sanchez, Bartosz Slisz, Adyn Torres*       

Forwards (6):  Leo Afonso, Luke Brennan, Ashton Gordon, Latte Lath, Jamal Thiaré, Cayman Togashi     

* On loan with ATL UTD 2 

` On loan with Millonarios F.C. 

~ On loan with Colorado Rapids

^ On loan from Getafe

Final grade: C-

This window is tough to grade, but right now it’s hard to see how this squad improved at a noticeable clip. The additions of Mihaj and Alzate should improve the overall quality of the team, but Berrocal is a head-scratching move. Mihaj should add a calming influence along the back line, while Alzate’s impact on the midfield is totally up in the air until we see more of him on the field. Both have the pedigree to help the team, but so have many other failed signings over the past five-plus years. Sacrificing two promising young defenders in Morales and Cobb to only improve incrementally is something that could pay off or come back to bite you.

While it’s understandable that the focus was on helping the defensive side of things, the floundering attack was completely ignored in the window. This was a busy period for moves, but there still seems like a mountain for Chris Henderson to climb in the winter to get this roster in shape to be competitive for 2026.

Some patience could pay dividends when it comes to evaluating these summer additions and subtractions, but on the surface, there’s nothing inspiring or transformative about the window we’ve just witnessed.