Atlanta United traded centerback George Campbell to Montreal on Tuesday for $600,000 in General Allocation Money and another possible $300,000 in GAM incentives.
Campbell, 21, appeared in a career-high 20 games, including 16 starts, last season. He made 36 appearances in his career.
The team will receive $400,000 in 2023 GAM and $200,000 in 2024. It will also receive a portion of any future transfer fee if Campbell is sold.
“He has been a great professional and positive influence around the club and community,” Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement from the club.
Campbell signed as a Homegrown signee in July 2019 after joining the academy in 2016. He was comfortable with the ball at his feet and would sometimes try to dribble through opponent’s lines. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he would lose possession, which would lead to counterattacks.
Campbell sustained an injury that kept him out of the lineup for the season’s final nine games.
“We are very happy with George’s acquisition,” Vice President and Chief Sporting Officer Olivier Renard said in a statement from Montreal. “He’s a player we tried to get in the past, but his club preferred not to let him go at the time. He has the type of profile we particularly like – a young player who doesn’t take an international spot and who we can support in his development. I am very confident that he has what it takes to strengthen our current defensive squad.”
The trade may have been necessary because the team has several quality centerbacks. The group includes Miles Robinson, who is returning from a ruptured Achilles, Alan Franco, JuanJo Purata and Homegrown signees Noah Cobb and Efrain Morales. Andrew Gutman also played as a centerback in a back three.
The trade of Campbell may open time for Cobb to gain minutes as a backup with the first team. He signed his Homegrown contract last year, but it goes into effect Jan. 1. Cobb made 26 appearances for Atlanta United 2 last season. Bocanegra and manager Gonzalo Pineda have said they believe Cobb has a lot of potential.
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