Atlanta United target Giorgios Giakoumakis finalizing deal with Urawa Red Diamonds, per report

Talks between Atlanta United and Celtic striker Giorgios Giakoumakis look like off because the Greek worldwide is about to “tie up the formalities” of a £4 million switch to Japanese top-flight membership Urawa Pink Diamonds, per a report from The Scotsman, amongst others.

Per Ross McLeish, a deal must be finalized “within the coming days”.

Giakoumakis emerged as a goal for Atlanta United because it appears so as to add to its ranks following the departure of Josef Martinez. However Greek publication Sports activities DNA cited “Celtic’s refusal to dump” the 28-year-old as Atlanta sought to carry him in on mortgage with an choice to purchase, whereas Celtic have been out to promote him outright. As a substitute, it’s off to Urawa, who completed ninth within the J-League in 2022.

The place do Atlanta United go from right here?

At present, the one 1st-team striker on Atlanta’s roster is Jackson Conway. Whereas he has put in vital time within the weight room within the offseason as he appears to take the possibility he’s been given, Gonzalo Pineda famous on Friday that the 22-year-old is “nonetheless younger” and that Conway is engaged on creating a “killer mentality” towards ending, maybe hinting that Atlanta are very a lot out there for a extra skilled choice up high.

“He has some good attributes like his measurement. He’s good within the air which is one thing that we like. He’s sturdy, he’s highly effective, he can defend the ball properly, he can mix fairly properly, he has good taking pictures from distance,” Pineda mentioned. “However, clearly, he has another abilities that he has to enhance.”

Atlanta technically have a number of weeks to go earlier than MLS rosters have to be set. However ideally it will need to have somebody in place earlier than it departs for its preseason journey to Mexico subsequent week. If it opts to look to the free agent market, veteran Ola Kamara, a 9-goal scorer with D.C. United in 2022 and a Golden Boot runner-up in 2021, remains to be out there, and regardless of making $1.520 million in 2022, the 33-year-old ought to command a a lot decrease wage. Will Bruin ($260,000 in 2022), a reputation very acquainted to each Pineda and Garth Lagerwey in Seattle, stays unsigned, however his 3 targets in 24 appearances in 2022 (10 begins) won’t be what the membership is on the lookout for until it’s seeking to bridge the hole between now and a extra vital piece in the course of the summer season switch window.

Though Lagerwey’s M.O. for participant acquisition in Seattle appeared to lean towards making vital strikes in the summertime (and Pineda lamented the timing of the switch window throughout Friday’s coaching session, conceding “It’s what it’s” whereas saying that he nonetheless hoped that new signings can be introduced in “quickly”), it’s robust to think about that Atlanta will step onto the sector on Feb. 25 in opposition to the San Jose Earthquakes with Jackson Conway as its beginning striker. But it surely appears as if one choice is off the desk.