Atlanta United Vice President Carlos Bocanegra said the team has received a lot of interest in Thiago Almada and Caleb Wiley, but the team wants to win a title this season, and that goal will affect any decisions made regarding offers made for any of its players.
“Obviously, we’re going to take into account (the team’s form), and I don’t want to say something now definitive that we change in the summer, but I think that overall, and from ownership, we would like to try and win a championship, and so (that means) putting the best team out there on the field this year,” he said.
Almada, 22 years old and who is tied for the team lead with five goals and leads with six assists, is among the candidates for MLS MVP. He was on the Argentina team that won last year’s World Cup and is the subject of almost weekly reports of a club in Europe having interest in purchasing him. Two weeks ago, it was Napoli in Italy’s Serie A.
Bocanegra said the team’s past experience in selling players, a group that includes Miguel Almiron and Pity Martinez, will inform any decisions it may make should it receive an offer that Almada and the team likes.
“It’ll be collaborative with the kid, with the club,” he said. “Does it make sense for all parties? When does that time come? So that’s how we’re addressing it. We’d love to win a championship this year. And we really want to try to be a part of that. So that’s kind of what things are.”
Whenever Almada is sold, Bocanegra said the club has scouted options to replace him.
Should the club sell Almada, replacing him within MLS rules may not be as easy as like-for-like into a slot.
Almada’s roster designation is as a Young Designated Player. There are certain requirements that must be met if the team were to sell him that would allow it to sign another DP and keep its Under-22 Initiative slots, which are occupied by Franco Ibarra, Santiago Sosa and Erik Lopez and come with reduced salary budget charges.
Bocanegra said the club would like to find a balance with younger DPs who have potential value and experienced DPs. The other DPs are Giorgos Giakoumakis, who is 28 years old, and Luiz Araujo, who is 26.
Wiley, 18, has three goals and two assists. The club reportedly turned down an offer for the fullback last season.
Centerback Miles Robinson, who is in the last year of a contract signed in 2019, is another player whose future may not include Atlanta United. He has yet to sign a contract extension offered last season after he sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon. He returned this season and is playing again like one of the better defenders in the league. Robinson has been asked several times if he has signed or will sign the extension. He has said he is betting on himself.
Bocanegra said the club and Robinson have continued to talk, and there’s no rush. Bocanegra implied that it’s unlikely that the club would offer him a Designated Player contract, should one of its three slots open.
Should Robinson sign a pre-contract with another club this summer, Bocanegra said it wouldn’t affect his playing time or status with the club.
“He’s a great kid,” Bocanegra said. “I think one of the cool things is Miles has really become a face of Atlanta, and the city has adopted him. And he’s really stepped into that role and really (the) vibe, as well, with the city and our club. And so we’d love to see him for the long term here and continue to be one of the faces of our franchise.”
If the team is in position to make a run at winning its second MLS Cup, Bocanegra said it has the allocation money to make a move. It is looking at a positions. The club has two senior roster slots open and an international slot. The secondary transfer window is from July 5-Aug. 2.
“We will have the ability to strengthen in the summer,” he said.
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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 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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