He’s home, y’all! Miguel Almiron is officially an Atlanta United player for the second time. Grab your 2018 kits and your replica MLS Cups, muster up all the nostalgia possibly, and queue up “Hypnotize” by Notorious B.I.G. because it’s time to celebrate.
“Miggy Miggy Miggy, can’t you see, sometimes your runs just hypnotize me…”
Miguel Almiron left MLS as an Atlanta United club legend back in 2018. He’d helped the team win MLS Cup in the club’s second season ever, he took home the MLS MVP Award, he was a best-XI player in both 2017 and 2018, and he provided countless moments of joy for Five Stripe fans accompanied by his trademark smile. When he rode off into the sunset (sunrise?) across the Atlantic to Newcastle United for a league record transfer fee, we can count on one hand how many people actually though he’d return to Atlanta United.
Fast forward six years, and now he’s back.
The Five Stripes announced today that they’ve completed a blockbuster signing for Miguel Almiron, finishing a weeks-long trade saga. The signing is the latest in Atlanta United’s attacking rebuild and, from a practical standpoint, one that fills a massive need for Atlanta’s front four. But it’s also a phenomenal PR move, as Miggy is one of the most beloved players to ever don a Five Stripes kit.
Miggy’s contract is through the 2027 MLS season with an option for 2028. Almirón will occupy a Designated Player and international roster spot pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa. Atlanta acquired Almirón’s Discovery Priority from Charlotte FC in exchange for $400,000 in General Allocation Money ($325,000 in 2025 and $75,000 in 2026).
“We’re thrilled to welcome Miguel back to Atlanta United and know we’re getting a top player and someone with excellent character,” Chief Soccer Officer and Sporting Director Chris Henderson said. “He’s a dynamic attacking player with proven success in our league as well as at the highest level in Europe in the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League with Newcastle. We’re pleased to add someone with his talent, experience and competitiveness to our group as we continue to build the roster for 2025.”
Almiron’s penchant for speedy runs on transition and his finishing abilities helped him run riot on MLS in 2017 and 2018 alongside fusion-celly partner Josef Martinez. Many pundits and journalists still refer to him as one of the best players to ever play in Major League Soccer, even after his six years of success with Newcastle United. At 30, he still has a lot of gas left in the tank, but now with Premier League and Champions League experience to boot; in fact, he was the player who scored Newcastle’s first Champions League goal in over 20 years.
“I’m very happy to return to Atlanta United, a club and a city that has always held a special place in my heart,” Almirón said. “I’m grateful to Arthur M. Blank and the entire organization for the opportunity and I’m looking forward to reuniting with the fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and creating more moments of joy together.”
With an entirely different cast of characters around him, minus Brad Guzan, the question on everyone’s mind is “can he capture lightning in a bottle twice?” Perhaps he will. Perhaps he doesn’t have to. Miggy’s individual talent can’t be argued, but he’ll have Alexey Miranchuk, Saba Lobjanidze, and possibly a DP striker up top alongside him that could elevate all four of them even further beyond the sum of their parts.
But keep in mind, the guy is still insanely fast and enjoys scoring inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, even as recently as two years ago when he participated in the Premier League Summer Series in Atlanta. And the moment he does it again, the roof might legitimately come off the place.
The excitement is palpable and the 2025 season just got a whole lot more interesting. February 22nd can’t come soon enough.
Welcome home, Miggy!
| Get Atlanta United and NWSL Atlanta training ground updates, audio and video content you won’t see anywhere else, Discord access, and more. Support us on Patreon and help support independent soccer coverage here in Atlanta! Click here to start a 7-day free trial. |
[…] a massive hype train kickstarted by Atlanta’s 2024 playoff Cinderella run and before the re-signing of club legend Miguel Almiron. His ideas and thought processes on how he wanted the team to play and compete sounded wonderful, […]
[…] Miguel Almiron returns home to Atlanta United […]
Whelp….this settles it. I’m going to renew my MLS AppleTV sub now!!!!
Not sure why he would not have the same fire, speed, vision, finishing, and magic as before.
SLAM?
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Congratulations, great news!
I’ve had tickets to the home opener for a few weeks now…I can’t be more excited than I already am (unless somehow they figure out how to get Josef onto the pitch with him). I definitely will be bringing ear plugs, that place is going to go nuts. Can’t friggen wait.
Absolutely agree – I am massively more excited about the season now that Miggy is back! The full stadium is open for the Montreal opener, and it will be LOUD!
Dude imagine if Josef had stayed at Montreal and he was facing Miggy 😳
still seems kind of ridiculous that we need to pay Charlotte $400K GAM for Almiron’s rights…
Looking to Feb 22. Bring your ear protection to the Benz when he walks out on the field. If Miggy scores? Just forget about hearing for a few days.
And now LL confirmed too?? Amazing!
The 6 year fog has lifted from this franchise.
All of the stress and anxiety from the process, and they sign both on the first day the window actually opens.
Hopefully now all the people that were complaining 3 weeks ago about the FO “not doing anything” can finally understand how the transfer window works when you have an intentional, tight-lipped leadership. No doubt they’ve been exploring and cultivating for weeks so that when the window actually opened, business could happen.
Boro Fan here
Confirmation of Latte Lath transfer agreed by all parties, from across the pond.
https://the72.co.uk/2025/01/30/middlesbrough-emmanuel-latte-lath-finalising-atlanta-united-move/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=middlesbrough-emmanuel-latte-lath-finalising-atlanta-united-move
Good luck Manu, I hope you set the MLS alight.
Called it…
Stoked…
LFG!
Thanks Boro Fan, and good luck to your team going forward!
Thank you and good luck to yourselves,
I have no doubt that Manu will do extremely well in the MLS. I’ve watched Jaime Moreno and Kei Kamara play as strikers for Boro, and they both played a lot of games / scored goals in the MLS.
I can assure you that Manu (LL) is a much better player than either of those were, and I mean no disrespect to either as they were both good players (especially Jaime).
I will watch with interest from afar.
Kind regards Dave
Seems like the bid for Cabral turned Boro’s slow walk of the process into a sprint.
Boro fan here.
Good news for you if this is correct,
https://www.givemesport.com/atlanta-united-finalizing-league-record-transfer-of-boros-latte-lath-sources/
Wait why did charlotte have his discovery fee or whatever?
Charlotte just had him on their discovery list, teams can add a few players and it’s basically calling first dibs on any player in the world. Essentially it means that team gets first crack at negotiations.
I think it’s meant to keep teams within MLS from fighting with each other over potential signings. I believe a club can have 7 players on their discovery list. The players eligible for this process are professionals in other countries and certain US players playing abroad.
But I do feel like some of the less ambitious clubs use this mechanism to extort money from the more ambitious clubs across the league. Side note: I don’t think Charlotte is an unambitious club but just generally speaking (looking at you Colorado).
The rumor mill had Charlotte close to signing Miggy in the last transfer window. There was much sturm und drang around here about it.
The discovery list is dumb (if multiple MLS teams want to bid on the same play why not?) But you also get these situations where it’s a GAM income stream at times. If Miami had wanted Neymar they’d have needed to send something to the Fire for his rights. LA had to trade for the rights to the German guy I’m blanking on right now.
Boro fan here
confirmation from across the pond
https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/24898042.miguel-almiron-completes-return-atlanta-newcastle-united/
Can we have LL please?
According to our local media outlets, Boro agreed a fee with Atlanta earlier this month so I’m guessing any delay is due to LL struggling to agree terms or green card / 8mmigration issues.
We already have Tommy Conway at the club who will replace LL as our first choice no 9 if LL leaves.
If LL does join you I’m expecting him to be a standout player in the MLS,
Bogert is now reporting it’s almost a done deal, too
If you could keep your hands off Tommy Conway for a year or two that would be greatly appreciated 🤔
No promises.
Noice!
Welcome home!