TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing
Atlanta United have signed forward Luiz Araujo as a Designated Player via a transfer from Ligue 1 side Lille OSC, it was announced Friday.
The 25-year-old helped Lille win the Ligue 1 title during the 2020-21 season and played for the French club for four seasons. He’ll be officially added to ATLUTD’s roster and occupy an international roster spot pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.
“Luiz is a player with great drive, a winning mentality, and is coming to us from a top club in Europe that just won their league,” Atlanta vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a release. “He has experience in big games, as well as UEFA Champions League and Europa League. We’re looking forward to him making an impact with the club.”
The move was reported Thursday evening by MLSsoccer.com's Tom Bogert as costing $12 million. The deal was first reported by French outlet L'Equipe, as the MLS Secondary Transfer Window closed Thursday evening, making this an aggressive midseason push by Atlanta's front office to bolster their attacking corps.
The Brazilian attacker joined Lille in 2017 from Sao Paulo, where he scored nine goals across 49 career appearances. That form secured a transfer to Europe, where he initially helped Lille avoid relegation and then take the Ligue 1 mantle from powerhouse side Paris Saint-Germain.
Araujo is expected to boost an attack spearheaded by forward Josef Martinez and attacking midfielder Marcelino Moreno. The club also has Ezequiel Barco, with that South American quartet now looking to lift Atlanta United out of their slow start to the 2021 MLS season.
