Could Romelu Lukaku find himself as Atlanta United’s next DP striker?
According to Swiss journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Atlanta has opened talks with the 33-year-old, who is currently signed to Napoli. Tavolieri adds that Lukaku has “opened the door” to a a departure from the Serie A club with less than a year remaining on his contract. This is just the latest big name connected to Atlanta, with Switzerland international Breel Embolo and Uruguayan striker Darwin Nuñez potentially in the club’s sights.
Lukaku is looking for a reset after a 2025-26 season marred by injury. He ultimately played just seven matches for Napoli across all competitions, including a brief UEFA Champions League appearance. That’s not to say he’s not a talented player. In 2024-25, he logged 14 goals and 10 assists across 36 matches. During Belgium’s run to the World Cup quarterfinals this summer, he posted three goals and an assist — including a goal against the United States in the Round of 16 to add to his program record of 93.
If Atlanta does sign Lukaku, it certainly wouldn’t be getting the version of him that he was several years ago. Considering what the club has gone through with Emmanuel Latte Lath, however, it’s hard to imagine Lukaku performing any worse if he does choose to leave Italy and come to Major League Soccer. We’ll see.
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Huge mistake! We need Darwin Nunez!
It gives me pause that Napoli wants to get rid of him so badly. His age and recent injury history also give me pause.
In other words, say hello to our new striker.
He’s left almost every club he’s played for in the wake of some form of self-inflicted controversy. He’s a self-centered malcontent, to put it nicely.
Bad move – he is already over the hill and not what is needed.
At this point, probably could get Josef for less than TAM money
If we’re the club looking for the next “big name” signing like others clubs have, this isn’t the way.
From a sporting stand point you shouldn’t sign Lukaku for the exact reasons you didn’t resign Josef Martinez.
Don’t do it, this short sightedness would be grounds for termination from my perspective. The season is dead, don’t waste the money. Start building for 2027 without old washed injury proned players of yester year.
Plus, he kicked the US out of the World Cup, come on, show a little immature, petty grudge. It’s good for your competitive soul.
I might rather Kovac be the starting 9 than him. Nothing against him, but I’m just tired of us buying mid-to old age Europeans who no longer have anything to prove. Please let’s find some younger, hungrier guy than an old man who could collapse at any second.
Please not another past his prime player with a history of injuries. We need a core of good solid young players instead of a couple of high priced players with the rest being sub par. Mr. Blank puts his heart and soul into his teams but continues to miss the mark on leadership. I’m wondering how a man so successful as a businessman can’t have good people around him with his sports teams?
I’m absolutely for getting a striker. Not sure if this is the guy though. Not sure I like him any better than Embolo, which I also didn’t think was a good idea.
I mean, if he is willing to come to Atlanta for $1 and just play as a super sub, sure
Have we not learned that the teams needs to be built around a strong core of defenders and midfielders?
This isnt 2013 MLS.
Yes, but we also desperately need a striker who can put the ball on frame. They can both be true.
The team desperately needs upgrades at virtually every position, and sequencing matters.
The team needs an identity, and thats going to come from your core players in the middle of the field.
We also have such a massive talent gap in central midfield that I dont think it will matter much who we being in up top.
I’m all for signing a DP or at least high-TAM super 6. A player that can control and dictate a game from deep. I don’t know that the MLS DP version of Rodri is, but I’d do bad things for a player like that. Still, we need to get some kind of talent in the attack. I don’t think Lukaku is the route to go. If we sign him, of course I’ll hope to eat my words, but I don’t see the fit. He’s not fit, he doesn’t have the legs for 90. He’s still big and technically skilled, but just not sure this is the way to turn for a club clearly in full rebuild.
Also, the Miggy/Miranchuk combo isn’t a good use of DP slots. I don’t really have an issue having either guy on the team, but it’s two guys that kind of perform similar roles, but with much different skill sets. I don’t see a way to get off Miggy’s contract without a buyout, so maybe Miranchuk can be sold in the winter. He’s just too slow to be consistently impactful or control games. He can make great plays when things workout and he’s right, but without the pace or work rate he’s just a passenger in a lot of these games. Miggy’s not without flaws and I’d be fine seeing him out as well, I just don’t think that’s realistic.
There were two I was following that could have been worth a shot.
Luca Sirch was available on a free, 27 yo DM/CB that could hit some wicked free kicks and was good in the box at both ends (basically Lawrentowicz with Kratz’s foot).
Santiago Castanada is a former USL player that just got promoted with Paderborn. 23 yo recently chose to play for US over Colombia and drawn comparisons to young Tyler Adams.
It looks like we have a guy that can do that with the 2s, so of course we are likely to sell him.
“with the 2s…”
You disagree that we should give him a real shot with the 1st team before we just sell him off?
He doesn’t seem interested in that, though. Not sure if/what contract offer AUFC made to him, but Kovac’s contract with AU2 expires this winter, and he can only appear in one more game for AUFC under his current contract (IIRC). The rumors are that he’s in talks with Kalmar FF to leave on a free this winter. It’ll be a bit less salary than a HG contract with AUFC, most likely, but almost certainly comes with the promise of major minutes. He’s not getting that here once AUFC bring in a new DP striker.
Just like us to have a 15G striker we can’t or won’t use. I’m not sure we shouldn’t offer him a good contract with the 1st team and minutes and use the DP slot on a 6.
This feels like a bandaid attempt to win goodwill with fans. Would rather get a younger hungrier player like Myron Boadu. Had some impressive seasons in Holland and Bundesliga and can get him for low enough to potentially pay down to non-DP.
Definitely a bandaid approach
Ain’t gonna earn any good will signing an out of shape striker that can’t go but 20 minutes. Not to mention he’s been kind of a shit head everywhere he’s been.
For us, the founding members/STHs and other real fans, it’s meaningless. To the luxury box set and casual fans…
Yeah, just what a last place team losing confidence by the minute needs is a malcontent in the locker room.
This organization consistently horrifies. Go after this guy – most clearly a bad decision on top of all the other bad decisions this org has made. Ive been an Atlanta sports fan my entire life, this org reinforces all the negatives that go along with that X 10000. Complete Reset needed at total scale. Granted I dont understand all the ins and outs just a desperate wanna be fan. Hopefully, good decisions will be made but I dont see that. Maybe im wrong…. I feel sorry for this team. At this point, if you bring in an intended turn around player, a key # 9 or whatever, the player must check every single box but even before that this org needs to redefine its check boxes – as they clearly have them wrong. I get the system creates decision making limitations but at this point this org needs to start requiring themselves to make correct decisions. Figure out how to identify and find proven immediate impact players with youth, energy, leadership, fitness and talent – spend and build there ! Lets not go the 1970s US NASL route.
Does he meet our FO eligibility requirements?
Old? Check
Injury history? Check
Unable to play a full 90? Check
And he’s rumored to be a malcontent
Not even remotely interested.
Spot on! Let’s go ahead and over pay for a contract that is years longer than his career outlook
We had a front office that signed young, exciting, up and coming South American players mixed in with experienced MLS players and built fun and exciting rosters that usually won. And even while winning, they went out and signed more. Some were misses, but very few were obvious misses until they got on the pitch.
And y’all hated them.
I can’t believe I might actually miss Boca by the end of all of this.
Let’s not forget that Boca systematically dismantled those fun and exciting rosters. That said, I would take Boca everyday and twice on Sundays over Garth “we’re back, baby” Lagerway and dumpster fire he burdened us with.
Boca needed to go. It was past time. The fact we got the replacement wrong with Garth (I hope he gets well soon nevertheless) doesn’t change that. Now Henderson and the new guy from the Mexican League whose name escapes me have an even bigger mess than what Garth inherited to clean up.
Don’t get me wrong, I am 100% not a Boca supporter, and was calling for him to leave just as much everybody. But so far Henderson hasn’t really hit on any signings, and it doesn’t look promising yet. At least Boca had Almada and Giakoumakis produce something for a bit.
I guess what I’m trying to say is not “bring back Boca” (ew no), but “how the heck does his replacement end up doing worse than he did?”
That’s fair, and I remember you were part of the Boca Out group for sure. I don’t think it’s possible I’ll ever miss him, but it’s definitely possible I wouldn’t rank him as our worst at the position all time.
This is a very important window for Henderson’s future as well, and so far I’m not impressed.