Atlanta United sign Thiago Almada for MLS record fee

Almada, a 2022 FIFA World Cup winner with Argentina, joined Atlanta in 2022 for a record $16 million from Vélez Sarsfield’s boyhood team.

He now leaves for a fee exceeding the two previous benchmark deals: when Alphonso Davies joined Bayern Munich from Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2018 and when Miguel Almirón joined Newcastle United from Atlanta in 2019.

Additionally, as part of the deal, Almada, 23, could join Lyon next winter. The Ligue 1 side, Crystal Palace (Premier League) and Botafogo are part of the Eagle Football Holdings group led by John Textor.

“We spent over a year recruiting Thiago to join Atlanta United and during that process we agreed that our club could provide an excellent platform to showcase his abilities and that he would have the opportunity to continue his development until the time was right for him to move on to the next challenge,” vice-president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement.