Atlanta United and Emerson Hyndman mutually agreed to terminate his contract, the club said Wednesday. The transaction is one of several moves in the works that include former key players on the MLS team.
The decision regarding Hyndman, 26, is a combination of his salary and history of injuries since joining the club during the 2019 season.
The midfielder, who had a guaranteed salary of $657,143 as of September last season, never appeared in more than 20 games and made only 16 appearances total in the past two seasons. He made 51 appearances and 35 starts with four goals and six assists. This is not the lone contract buyout allowed by MLS during offseasons.
Hyndman suffered a torn ACL in his right knee while training during the 2021 season. He returned during the middle of last season and was praised by manager Gonzalo Pineda for his excellent work during training sessions. Hyndman appeared in nine games, with two starts, before suffering a right quad injury June 30 that at the time was described as minor. He missed the rest of the season.
Terminating Hyndman’s contract leaves the team relatively thin at midfield. The remaining players include Thiago Almada, Matheus Rossetto, whose contract option was exercised by the club during the recent offseason, Santiago Sosa, Franco Ibarra and Ozzie Alonso.
Hyndman is one of several other moves that have been reported by South American media that the club is looking to make as it clears expenditures from its salary budget.
Other moves include the reported selling of Alan Franco to Sao Paulo in Brazil on a three-year deal. Franco, 26, made 56 appearances, including 54 starts, since joining before the 2021 season. Franco had a guaranteed salary of $667,500, according to the MLSPA, as of September last season.
The club also is trying to move, either by sell or loan, midfielder Marcelino Moreno to Coritiba, which is another club in Brazil, and Erik Lopez, who spent last season on loan to Banfield in Argentina. Moreno, 28, made 68 appearances with 13 goals and 14 assists since joining near the end of the 2020 season. He fell out of favor with Pineda last season. Moreno had a reported guaranteed salary of $568,333.
Atlanta United declined to comment on either report.
Additionally, midfielder Tyler Wolff was recalled from his loan to a second-division club in Belgium, according to a tweet from the team, S.K. Beveren. Wolff, 19, made five appearances, including four starts last season, before he was loaned.
The club already traded centerback George Campbell to Montreal and signed winger Derrick Etienne and goalkeeper Quentin Westberg as free agents.
2023 Atlanta United roster
Goalkeepers (3): Justin Garces, Brad Guzan and Quentin Westberg
Defenders (10): Noah Cobb, Alan Franco, Andrew Gutman, Ronald Hernández, Brooks Lennon, Aiden McFadden, Efrain Morales, Juanjo Purata, Miles Robinson and Caleb Wiley
Midfielders (10): Thiago Almada, Ozzie Alonso, Ezequiel Barco*, Derrick Etienne Jr., Ajani Fortune, Franco Ibarra, Marcelino Moreno, Matheus Rossetto, Santiago Sosa and Tyler Wolff**
Forwards (8): Luiz Araújo, Erik Centeno, Machop Chol, Jackson Conway, Dom Dwyer, Erik López, Josef Martínez and Edwin Mosquera
*On loan to River Plate through 2023 season
**On loan to S.K. Beveren through 2022-23 season
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m.
March 4 vs. Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
March 11 at Charlotte FC, noon, Fox
March 18 vs. Portland Timbers, 7:30 p.m.
March 25 at Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
April 1 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
April 8 at New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 15 at Toronto FC, 7:30 p.m.
April 23 vs. Chicago Fire FC, 4:30 p.m., FS1
April 29 at Nashville SC, 1:30 p.m., Fox
May 6 at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
May 13 vs. Charlotte FC, 7:30 p.m.
May 17 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m.
May 20 at Chicago Fire FC, 8:30 p.m.
May 27 at Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m.
May 31 vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m., FS1
June 3 at Los Angeles FC, 10:30 p.m.
June 10 vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
June 21 vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m.
June 24 at New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m.
July 2 vs. Philadelphia Union, 4 p.m., Fox
July 8 at CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
July 12 at New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.
July 15 vs. Orlando City SC, 7:30 p.m., FS1
Aug. 20 at Seattle Sounders, 10:30 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Nashville SC, 7:30 p.m.
Aug. 30 vs. FC Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 at FC Dallas, 8:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 20 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23 vs. CF Montreal, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 7 vs. Columbus Crew, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 21 at FC Cincinnati, TBA
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