If you want to see Atlanta United superstar Thiago Almada play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, you probably want to do so before the beginning of August.
After the second MLS transfer window from July 5 to August 2, seeing him might mean you'll need to use a plane ticket and a passport.
United set an MLS transfer fee record of $26 million in 2019 with Miguel Almiron going to Newcastle FC, Almada will almost certainly top that, as he's projected to end up with a top level international club.
And if you ask United President Garth Lagerway, who was on The Steakhouse this week with Steak and Drew Butler, the team made this investment knowing exactly how it could pay off. "So we paid a bunch of money, eight figures. If he moves on, we're gonna want to sell him for a bunch more than that. And if you look at the market, there are probably fewer than 20 clubs in the world that can buy any player that price."
A World Cup winner for the Argentinian National Team this past winter, Almada won MLS Player of the Week after United's season 2-1 win vs San Jose, a match where Almada became second player in league history to score a game tying and winning goal in stoppage time. He was later named MLS Player of the Month, becoming the youngest player to do so since 2020. On the season, he's got four goals and five assists in six matches.
In describing just good Almada is, Lagerwey was very straightforward. "This kid is genuinely special. I've had some good players in my career. He might be the best."
There's a flip side to this coin though, as United is enjoying their best early season success since 2019, and Thiago is a huge reason why that's the case. So, what if the offer that United wants doesn't come in for him just yet? Garth told Steak and Drew what the goal of this team was this season. "Arthur Blank when he hired charged me. He said he already had the transfer record. What I want is more MLS cups." This team is in a position this season where they can continue to build around him, and Garth is absolutely willing to make that happen.
