MLS side Atlanta United have signed playmaker Alexey Miranchuk from Serie A club Atalanta on a deal until 2027 with the option of an extra year.
Russia international Miranchuk, who won the 2023/24 Uefa Europa League with Atalanta, has cost the Easten Conference club around $16.2 million, according to transfer reporter Fabrizio Romano.
The 28-year-old will be a Designated Player and replace Thiago Almada, the World Cup winner with Argentina who joined Brazilian side Botafogo for $16m in June.
Atalanta to Atlanta, it just makes sense ✍️
Alexey Miranchuk is a 5-Stripe 🔴⚫️ pic.twitter.com/92KLjkZERr
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 30, 2024
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Atlanta: Miranchuk has ‘winning mentality’
“We’re excited to sign a player of Alexey’s quality at this point in his career from a top league in Europe,” Atlanta vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said.
“He’s an attacking player who is an excellent chance creator capable of scoring goals. We’re pleased to add a player with his experience and winning mentality to our group.”
Atlanta have more than $40m to spend this summer because of the sales of Almada, striker Giorgos Giakoumakis to Cruz Azul and left-back Caleb Wiley to Chelsea, according to the MLS website.
Mesmerizing. Maestro. Miranchuk. 💫 pic.twitter.com/P06ZN8NUmb
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 30, 2024
Alexey Miranchuk stats, goals
Born in the Russian town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban, Miranchuk had youth spells with Spartak Moscow and Lokomotiv Moscow, winning the Russian Premier League once and the Russian Cup three times after becoming a senior player with Lokomotiv.
He scored on his Russia debut as a 19-year-old in 2015 and was called up for the 2018 Fifa World Cup and Euro 2020, where he netted in a 1-0 group-stage win over Finland.
Atlanta fans might be disappointed if Miranchuk does not score on his Five Stripes debut: he notched in his first games for Atalanta in the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia after joining from Lokomotiv for around $16.2m in 2020.
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Miranchuk, who spent 2022/23 on loan at Torino, has 63 goals and 71 assists in 371 club appearances, finding the net four times and setting up 12 goals last season, when he was an unused substitute in Atalanta’s 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
“Am I still dreaming?” Miranchuk asked in an Instagram post, posing with the club’s first ever European trophy on his flight back to Bergamo.
Atlanta occupy the ninth and final MLS Cup Playoffs spot during the break for the Leagues Cup, in which they will host Mexican opponents Santos Laguna at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday (4pm ET).
