Atlanta United has more than $50 million to spend in the upcoming transfer window and President Garth Lagerwey said on Thursday that he knows it won’t be easy but the club is targeting prime-age players from top-five leagues in Europe to fill its two vacant Designated Player slots.
“We’re going to be responsible, we’re going to be rational, we’re going to make good investments and good choices,” he said.
The club has more than $50 million because of the sales of Thiago Almada ($21 million), Giorgos Giakoumakis ($10 million), the sell to River Plate and subsequent sell-on of Ezequiel Barco ($11 million), sales of Luiz Araujo and Marcelino Moreno, and the pending sale of Caleb Wiley ($11 million).
Lagerwey said he believes $50 million is the most funds any MLS club has received in a transfer window. Lagerwey repeated what Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said Tuesday that the club is speaking with 15 players around the world. Lagerwey wouldn’t say if the team is close to signing any player because he said being close is irrelevant.
“We would prefer to have a player here for a longer period of time who’s here because they are playing on an elite level and they want to be in Atlanta,” he said. “They want to be playing in front of 47,000 people every week and are part of Atlanta United and are here because they live, breath, sleep, die for Atlanta United.”
Signing prime-age players represents a different model than the one Atlanta United started with, which is to buy young players, develop them and sell them for profits. It worked with Miguel Almiron to Newcastle and Almada to Botafogo. Lagerwey credited former President Darren Eales for that model and those success.
However, the club hasn’t won a trophy since 2019 and is outside the playoffs heading into Saturday’s match at Montreal.
Since Lagerwey became club president before the 2023 season, he has focused on signing experienced players with lower costs. He seems ready to spend more, albeit responsibly. This will be his first time with Atlanta United that he is able to buy two DPs. He said the past window was spent on strengthening the core of the team. He compared it with the building of an ice cream sundae, and now it’s time for the team to add the cherries on top.
He said the costs of adding experienced players can be recouped with more ticket sales in playoff matches, Leagues Cup matches and Champions League appearances.
“Our focus is when we are going to bring in the best players we can, that we believe will reward our fan base, and win as many things as possible, over the next three to five years,” he said. “We are still going to do that sustainably. It’s going to be a balance of signing players, but doing it in a way that maximizes our chances to win titles in the next three years.”
Lagerwey said the potential MLS rules changes are affecting the team’s recruiting strategy or efforts because they have yet to be enacted. There is Board of Governors meeting scheduled for the week of the MLS All-Star match in Columbus, Ohio on July 24. Among the rules changes would be an uncoupling of the number of DP slots being dependent upon the number of Under-22 Initiative players signed. Another possible rules change would be the ability of teams to turn some of the revenue form the sale of Homegrown players into Allocation money, which can be spread around the roster to boost salaries of players.
Lagerwey said he doesn’t believe not having a full-time manager is impacting the recruiting. Rob Valentino was named the interim manager after the firing of Gonzalo Pineda on June 3. Lagerwey said the club is selling to the recruits Mercedes-Benz stadium, the support of the fan base, the facilities, which are undergoing a $23 million expansion with ground recently broken, and the city.
“I think there’s a whole bunch there to like that isn’t coach-dependent,” he said.
Lagerwey said the club is still evaluating Valentino as a possible candidate. He said it’s unfair to make too many inferences because Valentino has been coaching a team that has steadily lost starters to the transfer market. Lagerwey said a search firm will likely be hired because that is typical of the process followed by Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment. Lagerwey said there is no timeline on the search firm.
“We are focused on players because we have four weeks, so June 18 to Aug. 14, to make our team as good as we can,” he said. “And I think after that, we’ll be able to catch our breath a little bit. But what we’re hopeful is we’re going to be able to bring in players that are of good enough caliber, where, irrespective of who’s coaching us next year, everybody’s going to be excited to manage the players that we bring in.”
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 Columbus 1, Atlanta United 0
March 9 Atlanta United 4, New England 1
March 17 Atlanta United 2, Orlando 0
March 23 Toronto 2, Atlanta United 0
March 31 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 0
April 6 Atlanta United 1, NYCFC 1
April 14 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 2
April 20 Cincinnati 2, Atlanta United 1
April 27 Atlanta United 1, Chicago 1
May 4 Minnesota 2, Atlanta United 1
May 7 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte Independence 0 in U.S. Open Cup
May 11 D.C. United 3, Atlanta United 2
May 15 Cincinnati 1, Atlanta United 0
May 18 Atlanta United 1, Nashville 1
May 21 Atlanta United 0 (5), Charleston 0 (4) in U.S. Open Cup
May 25 LAFC 1, Atlanta United 0
May 29 Atlanta United 3, Miami 1
June 2 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 2
June 15 Atlanta United 2, Houston 2
June 19 Atlanta United 1, D.C. United 0
June 22 Atlanta United 1, St. Louis 1
June 29 Atlanta United 2, Toronto 1
July 3 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
July 6 Real Salt Lake 5, Atlanta United 2
July 9 vs. Indy Eleven 2, Atlanta United 1
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
July 26 vs. D.C. United in Leagues Cup, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 4 vs. Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup, 4 p.m.
Aug. 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 31 at Charlotte, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 14 vs. Nashville, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 vs. Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 21 at Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 vs. Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 5 vs. Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19 at Orlando, 6 p.m.
