Less than 24 hours after winning the MLS Cup, Atlanta United on Sunday began working on next year’s roster.
In what will be a pivotal offseason that will include the hiring of a new manager, the team announced on Sunday that it has declined contract options on five players, including captain Michael Parkhurst.
However, the team is negotiating with Parkhurst in an attempt to bring the 34-year-old captain back for a third season. It’s a similar situation as last year with Jeff Larentowicz, who re-joined the club. Parkhurst made 32 appearances during the regular season. He finished third in Defender of the Year voting.
The team exercised contract options on goalkeeper Alec Kann; defenders Mikey Ambrose and Greg Garza; midfielders Julian Gressel, Jeff Larentowicz and Darlington Nagbe; and forward Romario Williams. It re-signed defender Jon Gallagher.
The team has contracts with 19 players for at least next season: goalkeeper Brad Guzan; defenders George Bello, Franco Escobar, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Jose Hernandez and Miles Robinson; midfielders Miguel Almirón, Ezequiel Barco, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Kevin Kratz, Chris McCann and Eric Remedi; and forwards Lagos Kunga, Josef Martinez, Patrick Okonkwo, Brandon Vazquez, Tito Villalba and Gordon Wild.
“We’ve always said we want to be a top club,” Atlanta United President Darren Eales said on Saturday. “We’ve got to sort of sharpen our pencils and start thinking about how we want to improve for next season and beyond.”
Options were declined by the MLS champions on goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt, fullback Sal Zizzo and midfielders Oliver Shannon and Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu.
Hildebrant was signed in the offseason between the 2017-18 seasons, but didn’t make an appearance with the senior team.
Zizzo was also signed in the previous offseason. The 31-year-old made six appearances before sustaining a knee injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season.
Wheeler-Omiunu was selected in the third round of the 2017 SuperDraft. The Harvard product had one appearance in a league game in two seasons.
Shannon was selected in the third round of the 2018 SuperDraft. He didn’t make an appearance with the senior team.
The team’s moves aren’t done.
The expansion draft for Cincinnati will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday. Atlanta United could lose a player to Cincinnati. Free agency begins at 3 pm. Tuesday.
2019 Atlanta United roster, as of Dec. 9, 2018
Goalkeepers (2): Brad Guzan, Alec Kann
Defenders (8): Mikey Ambrose, George Bello, Franco Escobar, Jon Gallagher, Greg Garza, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Jose Hernandez and Miles Robinson
Midfielders (10): Miguel Almirón, Ezequiel Barco, Andrew Carleton, Chris Goslin, Julian Gressel, Kevin Kratz, Jeff Larentowicz, Chris McCann, Darlington Nagbe and Eric Remedi
Forwards (7): Lagos Kunga, Josef Martinez, Patrick Okonkwo, Brandon Vazquez, Tito Villalba, Gordon Wild and Romario Williams
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