Atlanta United’s pursuit of centerback Laurent Giannetti may have taken a curious turn Tuesday night.
If the report is accurate, Giannetti didn’t pass his physical. The club has yet to confirm the accuracy of the report.
Translated, it says, “Last moment: Lautaro Giannetti did not pass the medical examination and could not sign a contract with Atlanta United of the MLS. Gabriel Heinze wants equal to the defender of @Velez. Key hours.”
The last bit is a poor translation. It actually says that Heinze still wants the defender. Atlanta United declined to comment on the report.
It sets up an interesting situation, one that I don’t remember happening before in the team’s short history: a player not passing a physical but the manager still wanting that player.
It’s a gamble, one made more interesting because of MLS rules, the fact that the team is on a bit of a deadline, and that Giannetti is a Heinze guy.
Giannetti’s transfer value is approximately $3 million, according to transfermarkt. That’s peanuts to most clubs in most leagues. In MLS, even if the amount is less than that and even amortized over the length of the contract, it’s a significant amount because of the cap.
Add in that the club opens its season in a month with a knockout round series in the Champions League and the urgency to both find and sign a starter adds a bit of pressure. We’ve seen that it has taken weeks for moves to be finalized.
Lastly, Heinze knows Giannetti. He managed him at Velez Sarsfield. Heinze wanted Giannetti and still does.
Perhaps it’s a minor, fixable issue that prevented Giannetti from passing the physical, in which case the money and time spent pursuing him will be considered part of the investment.
If it’s something more serious, that makes it a bit of a risk. ... Atlanta United isn’t a club that takes a lot of risks, in my opinion.
What happens next will be interesting.
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