With the transfer window closing Wednesday, Atlanta United is on the verge of signing winger Saba Lobzhanidze as a Designated Player and winger Xande Silva, according to a person with knowledge of the acquisitions who wasn’t authorized to speak on the record.
Lobhanidze is a 28-year-old native of a Georgia who played in Turkey for Hatayspor. Lobzhanidze has scored 69 goals with 57 assists in 288 appearances.
Silva, a 26-year-old Portuguese winger, has scored 25 goals with nine assists in 172 appearances for clubs, including most recently at Dijon, and also West Ham U21s, Aris Thessaloniki, Nottingham Forest and Vitória Guimarães.
Both will be able to train with Atlanta United after they acquire their visas.
Lobhanidze and Silve are the third and fourth signings made by Atlanta United in its push to strengthen its playoff spot. The team is in seventh in the Eastern Conference and will play next at Seattle on Aug. 20. They join midfielder Tristan Muyumba and striker Jamal Thiare.
Lobhanidze will fill the DP slot that opened when the team sold Luiz Araujo to Flamengo in Brazil. Lobhanidze’s DP slot is one that the team should be able to buy down with Allocation Money before next season.
Silva was considered an up-and-coming prospect when he was purchased by West Ham from Vitoria for a reported $4.2 million in 2018. He made only two appearances for the first team. He was sold to Nottingham Forest, where he had one assist in 10 appearances. He joined Dijon on a free transfer. He scored six goals with three assists in 32 appearances.
Silva will join a group of wingers that includes Tyler Wolff, Edwin Mosquera, Derrick Etienne, Machop Chol, and, at times, Brooks Lennon and Caleb Wiley, whose natural positions are fullbacks.
Wolff has been the most productive with four goals.
Atlanta United has tried to acquire players who can combine well with attacking midfielder Thiago Almada or striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
Atlanta United has a mixed history with the success of its DPs.
Josef Martinez, Miguel Almiron and Hector Villalba were successes in helping the club win the MLS Cup in 2018. Giakoumakis, signed early this year and who leads the team with 10 goals, and Almada, who has eight goals and nine assists this season, also are considered successes.
Ezequiel Barco, Pity Martinez and Marcelino Moreno weren’t as successful statistically, though Barco and Martinez did help the team win two trophies in 2019. Barco, signed before 2018, finished with 17 goals and 17 assists in 81 appearances. He was loaned to River Plate, and eventually his rights sold, before the 2022 season. Martinez, signed ahead of 2020, finished with seven goals and 11 assists in 39 appearances. He was sold to a club in Saudi Arabia during the 2021 season. Moreno, signed during 2020, finished with 13 goals and 10 assists in 69 appearances. He was sent on loan to Coritiba before this season.
Araujo, signed in the summer of 2021, showed a lot of skill, but it didn’t result in production in the final third of the field. He finished with 11 goals and 12 assists in 59 appearances.
Alan Franco was an “accounting” DP, one whose transfer fee and salary technically made him a DP because the amortized value over the length of the contract surpassed the MLS differentiation between a DP and non-DP. His contract quickly was bought down using Allocation Money to open the DP slot.
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Atlanta United’s 2023 MLS schedule
Feb. 25 Atlanta United 2, San Jose Earthquakes 1
March 4 Atlanta United 1, Toronto FC 1
March 11 Atlanta United 3, Charlotte FC 0
March 18 Atlanta United 5, Portland 1
March 25 Columbus 6, Atlanta United 1
April 1 Atlanta United 1, New York Red Bulls 0
April 8 Atlanta United 1, New York City FC 1
April 15 Atlanta United 2, Toronto FC 2
April 23 Atlanta United 2, Chicago 1
April 29 Nashville SC 3, Atlanta United 1
May 6 Inter Miami CF 2, Atlanta United 1
May 13 Charlotte 3, Atlanta United 1
May 17 Atlanta United 4, Colorado 0
May 20 Atlanta United 3, Chicago 3
May 27 Atlanta United 1, Orlando 1
May 31 Atlanta United 3, New England 3
June 7 Atlanta United 0, LAFC 0
June 10 Atlanta United 3, D.C. United 1
June 21 Atlanta United 2, New York City 2
June 24 New York Red Bulls 4, Atlanta United 0
July 2 Atlanta United 2, Philadelphia 0
July 8 Atlanta United 1, Montreal 0
July 12 New England 2, Atlanta United 1
July 15 Orlando City 2, Atlanta United 1
July 25 Miami 4, Atlanta United 0 in Leagues Cup
July 29 Cruz Azul 1 (5), Atlanta United (4) 1 in Leagues Cup
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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