Breel Embolo focused on improving Atlanta United’s fortunes: “I want to achieve something here”

Breel Embolo understands the situation he’s walking into at Atlanta United.

The club has advanced past the first round of the playoffs just twice since winning MLS Cup in 2018. It finished second-to-last in the Supporters’ Shield standings last season. Despite a three-match win streak that has it just three points out of a postseason spot, its 25 goals are the third-fewest in the league.

Those factors may make choosing Atlanta counterintuitive for a player who, at 29, could have just as easily stayed in Europe. But it’s a challenge he’s embracing.

“(You) can say the team is not in the best position, but I think that’s my job, to help the team to get there where it belongs,” Embolo said on Tuesday.

“It’s not (like a) move from England to France, or from France to Germany, so it’s really a big, big step. So it took some time for me, but my family was really open at the beginning, so it’s helped me.”

What’s Breel Embolo’s profile?

Atlanta United CSO Chris Henderson noted that Embolo’s visa from the World Cup should expedite matters and that the club is “hoping” for a resolution “in the next 10 days.”

He added that Embolo “checked the boxes” for what the club wanted in a striker. It’s an important, and vital, decision, especially after Emmanuel Latte Lath failed to catch on after his equally-lucrative transfer to Atlanta.

“You can see Breel’s character and what type of person he is. He’s going to fit great into the way we want to play (and fit) into the locker room. He’ll be a leader,” Henderson said.

On the pitch, Embolo’s makeup fits what the team is after.

“He can occupy both defenders, not only play with his back to goal, but he can stretch the teams as well and use his speed and his power and his technique….he’s a very good finisher when he gets chances inside the box,” Henderson added.

For his part, Embolo mentioned a desire to make the team around him better. There’s no pressure to play in the shadow of club legend Josef Martinez, who he faced while in Switzerland.

“It’s not about me. It’s about everyone to get on board to work hard, to enjoy the moment, to win … to work hard every day,” he said.

And there is a chance of another signing before the transfer window closes next Friday, Henderson said.

“There are some things we’re trying to finish to add to this roster leading into the last 13 games,” he said.

Why Atlanta United?

Outside of the rap and music scene, and Coca-Cola, Atlanta is a place Embolo didn’t know much about before the club reached out to him. That said, he is close friends with Houston Rockets center Clint Capela, who played for the Hawks from 2020-25.

“He was really excited also. He pushed me hard to come here,” Embolo joked.

He added that he was impressed by the team’s ambition and the facilities, as well as his positive interactions with club staff and his new teammates.

It’s a transfer that takes Embolo away from Ligue 1, one of the top leagues in the world. But, with his family open to the move, he made it clear that he didn’t see playing in the United States as a long-term vacation.

“I’m really competitive, and I want to win,” Embolo said. “Maybe a lot of people in Europe will not understand that I am coming here at I’m 29, but for me, the other side is to show that I’m not coming here to get a holiday.

“I want to achieve something here and help the team to get to the target. That’s the most important thing.”