Giorgos Giakoumakis, Thiago Almada and new signee Stian Gregersen will be Atlanta United’s three Designated Players to start its eighth season in MLS.
The club provided some contract information about the composition of its roster Friday ahead of Saturday’s season-opening match at Columbus. Vice President Carlos Bocanegra, speaking Friday, said the team doesn’t have the cap space to sign another starting-caliber player. That is important because the team could be without several starters who may be called into their national teams for lengthy absences during the season. Bocanegra said the team may pursue a backup striker and left fullback during the next transfer window in the summer.
“We feel pretty good about our roster and pretty deep at the various positions,” Bocanegra said.
A Designated Player is one whose salary, plus the transfer fee to acquire, when amortized over the length of the contract exceeds $1,683,750 per year.
Players whose salaries will result in the club using Targeted Allocation Money are Luis Abram, Derrick Etienne, Brooks Lennon, Saba Lobjanidze, who was a DP, Bartosz Slisz and Jamal Thiare. TAM players are those whose salary and transfer fee when amortized over the length of the contract is less than $1,683,750 and more than $683,750. Each MLS club receives $2.4 million in Targeted Allocation Money at the start of the season. That is used to buy down salaries to or below $683,750.
Players who will occupy international slots are Abram, Giakoumakis, Gregersen, Lobjanidze, Tristan Muyumba, Xande Silva, Slisz and Thiare.
Thiago Almada and Edwin Mosquera have secured green cards and no longer will occupy international slots.
Erik Centeno will be the only player sent on a season-long loan to Atlanta United 2, according to Bocanegra. He said the other Homegrowns and less-experienced players can stay with the first team but get important game minutes with Atlanta United 2.
This was the second year that the club has released its roster with contract lengths for each player.
Atlanta United’s roster with player with status, designation, final guaranteed contract year, and final option year:
Luis Abram, International, TAM, 2025, 2026
Thiago Almada, Domestic, Young DP, 2026, None
Josh Cohen, Domestic, none, 2025, 2026
Derrick Etienne, Domestic, TAM, 2025, 2027
Giorgos Giakoumakis, International, DP, 2025, 2026
Stian Gregsersen, International, DP, 2027, 2028
Brad Guzan, Domestic, none, 2024, 2025
Ronald Hernandez, Domestic, none, 2024, 2025
Brooks Lennon, Domestic, TAM, 2025, 2026
Saba Lobjandize, International, TAM, 2026, None
Dax McCarty, Domestic, none, 2024, 2025
Edwin Mosquera, Domestic, U22, 2026, None
Tristan Muyumba, International, TAM, 2026, 2027
Xande Silva, International, TAM, 2025, 2026
Bartosz Slisz, International, TAM, 2028, None
Jamal Thiare, International, TAM, 2024, 2025
Quentin Westberg, Domestic, none, 2024, None
Derrick Williams, Domestic, None, 2025, 2026
SUPPLEMENTAL
Aiden McFadden, Domestic, None, 2024, None
Noah Cobb, Domestic, Homegrown, 2026, 2027
Tyler Wolff, Domestic, Homegrown, 2024, 2025
Caleb Wiley, Domestic, Homegrown, 2025, 2026
Nick Firmino, Domestic, None, 2024, 2026
Jay Fortune, Domestic, Homegrown, 2024, 2026
Luke Brennan, Domestic, Homegrown, 2027, 2028
Efrain Morales, Domestic, Homegrown, 2024, 2026
Adyn Torres, Domestic, Homegrown, 2027, 2028
OFF ROSTER
Erik Centeno, Domestic, Generation Adidas, 2024, 2026
ON LOAN
Franco Ibarra, Season-long loan, U22, 2024, 2025
Santiago Sosa, Season-long loan, U22, 2024, 2025
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Atlanta United’s 2024 schedule
Feb. 24 at Columbus, 2 p.m.
March 9 vs. New England, 7:30 p.m.
March 17 vs. Orlando, 7 p.m., FS1
March 23 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
March 31 vs. Chicago, 3:30 p.m., Fox
April 6 at NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
April 14 vs. Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m., Fox
April 20 vs. Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
April 27 at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.
May 4 vs. Minnesota, 7:30 p.m.
May 11 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
May 15 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
May 18 at Nashville, 1:30 p.m.
May 25 vs. LAFC, 7:30 p.m.
May 29 at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
June 2 vs Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., Fox
June 15 vs. Houston, 7:30 p.m.
June 19 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 22 at St. Louis, 8:30 p.m.
June 29 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m.
July 3 at New England, 7:30 p.m.
July 6 at Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m.
July 13 at Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 17 vs. NYCFC, 7:30 p.m.
July 20 vs. Columbus, 7:30 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.
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