Atlanta United have reached an agreement with Lanus on the transfer of Marcelino Moreno as a Designated Player, according to journalist Cesar Luis Merlo.
Moreno, an attacking midfielder, was targeted by Atlanta United as soon as it sold Pity Martinez to Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. Financial terms of the contract with Moreno have yet to be disclosed. Atlanta United declined to comment. Moreno couldn’t play for the team until he receives a visa and successfully undergoes quarantine.
Moreno, 25, is coming from the same team from which Atlanta United signed Miguel Almiron before the 2017 MLS season.
There are similarities between Moreno and Almiron, who was sold by Atlanta United to Newcastle in England’s Premier League following the 2018 MLS season.
Like Almiron, Moreno is a box-to-box, quick player who can turn defense to offense. Like Almiron, Moreno’s stats aren’t flashy: just six goals and 13 assists in 106 matches. Almiron had two goals and four assists for Lanus in 31 matches. With Atlanta United, Almiron scored 21 goals with 19 assists.
Moreno is stepping into a bit of a mess with Atlanta United, which has won just one of its past nine league games. The offense isn’t creating opportunities, much less shots.
If Moreno plays centrally as a midfielder, it will likely mean that either Emerson Hyndman or Matheus Rossetto will lose their starting spots. It’s possible that Moreno could play as a second striker, underneath the top striker. Almiron sometimes played that position under manager Gerardo Martino.
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