TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Report
Atlanta United may be struggling on the field, but they appear to be owning MLS silly season with another reported transfer target from South America, all while they continue searching for a manager to replace Gabriel Heinze.
A report from Brazilian journalist Jeremias Wernek says Atlanta are on the verge of signing Gremio winger Ferreira, with the Five Stripes apparently willing to pay the 23-year-old’s termination fee of $9.5 million. Ferreira still has more than two years left on his contract with the Brazilian Serie A side.
Al-Ain from the United Arab Emirates had reportedly previously made an offer for the attacker, but that was rejected.
Ferreira has 15 goals and 12 assists in 70 appearances across all competitions for Gremio.
Atlanta were also recently linked to SC Braga forward Ricardo Horta. The Portuguese club claimed that Atlanta made a $17.8 million offer for Horta, which triggered his release cause. But the 26-year-old purportedly rejected the offer, with Braga instead offering their captain a new five-year deal.
And Atlanta are still in hot pursuit of Argentine attacker Thiago Almade from Velez Sarsfield. Per transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano, an agreement has been reached between the clubs and it’s all down to personal terms.
Atlanta already have all three Designated Player spots filled, though perhaps someone like defender Alan Franco could be bought down with allocation money. There's also the U-22 Initiative route, which is designed to sign promising young talent.
The MLS Secondary Transfer Window ends on Aug. 5.
