Report: Giorgos Giakoumakis completes transfer to Cruz Azul
According to Fabrizio Romano, Atlanta United's main goal threat heads to Liga MX.
Atlanta United has come to an agreement with Cruz Azul on the permanent transfer of Giorgios Giakoumakis in exchange for $10 million, according to a report by Fabrizio Romano.
The report states that the Five Stripes will receive a hefty return of $10 million “guaranteed." Romano reported earlier this week that the sides were “negotiating installments,” and this most recent report indicates none of the $10 million deal will be dependent on performance.
Giakoumakis, 29, joined Atlanta from Celtic in February 2023 for a reported fee of around $5 million. To double your return on investment for a player after just 16 months is a pretty good piece of business. However, to lose a player like Giorgos, who won over the hearts of the 17’s with his talent and spirit, is a tough proposition.
Nevertheless, Atlanta United now have an all-important Designated Player slot opened up to work with in the summer transfer window. While GG’s 22 goals in 38 appearances is very impressive, one knock on him was his susceptibility to injury. The club now has the chance to find a difference maker in attack that can perhaps stay on the field at a higher rate.
It’s expected to be a busy summer in the transfer window for the club as they look for a new manager and try to recruit players to help them improve on the field. This is a bold first step, but it’s one that opens up an opportunity to attract a new star player to Atlanta.
I'm not mad about this transaction. I generally enjoyed watching GG, but he's been relatively flat this season, in and out with injuries, and if someone is willing to pay double our getting price that's just too sweet an offer to pass up.
I'd assume this means a likely signing during the summer window is already lined up, though we may see a loan as opposed to a buy at CF. Then we hold the DP slot open until the winter or bring in someone we can buy down to give the new manager at least one DP pick to work with.
I guess. We seem to get obsessed with the magical signing out there that will solve all our woes. Our history of signing DPs is pretty poor though. So I’ll keep my fingers crossed, but I want an established name, big $$, and prime age.