Tata Martino addresses Josef Martinez’s availability, potential of Atlanta United reunion

Josef Martinez’s time with Tijuana in Liga MX was brief and inconspicuous.

After signing on a free transfer with Xolos in January ahead of the Clausura, Martinez scored just once in nine appearances and 247 minutes. Needless to say, this wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven.

But with the former Atlanta United great reportedly available after parting ways with the club, would a reunion with both Tata Martino and Miguel Almirón make sense?

“I know that forward is a player where we have numerous players under contract. We have (Emmanuel) Latte Lath as a DP, we have Sergio Santos, we have Cayman (Togashi), we have Alexey (Miranchuk) who also plays in that position. So it is a position where we are quite full at the moment,” Martino said through an interpreter after Atlanta’s 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew.

“Without speaking with Chris (Henderson), it would look like it’s a position that is full, but I won’t rule out anything because we have to evaluate. Josef, we know, is a goal scorer, and he is playing in an important league in Mexico.”

Martinez’s return would be intriguing on many levels. He still holds Atlanta in high regard despite his acrimonious exit from the club. Despite a failed stint in Mexico, he is still a lethal player, scoring 14 times for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2025. There’s still something left in the tank.

But is it the right move for the club right now, Martinez’s age (33) and the performance of Atlanta’s current DPs notwithstanding? That’s the question Chris Henderson and the front office (and Mauricio Culebro, when he arrives) will need to answer. It could be that Martinez wants to close his career in Atlanta — a place he’s likened to his version of an FC Barcelona or Real Madrid — but this can’t be just a “warm and fuzzy feelings” signing. Plus, how much of his failure to make an impact with Xolos was the club and league just being a bad fit, coming in at the wrong time, or simply due to a physical decline?

So far, sentiment among the fanbase appears to be split. But Martino certainly hasn’t poured cold water on the idea. We’ll see if that ends up signaling Martinez’s return to the place where he became one of the biggest stars in the league, or if he resumes his decorated career somewhere else.