Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada is finalizing a move to Brazilian club Botafogo after two and a half seasons in Major League Soccer.

According to a league source with knowledge of the negotiations, Atlanta will receive an MLS-record $21million for Almada. The deal could potentially reach up to $30m in total value if conditions for additional payments are met.

The 23-year-old Argentine joined Atlanta from Velez Sarsfield in 2022 for a reported fee of $16m. He won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award and he also became the first player to win the World Cup as an active MLS player that year.

Almada scored Atlanta’s first goal in a 2-1 win over Toronto FC on Saturday. After the match, he acknowledged that it could be his last for Atlanta, saying, “There have been many rumors, some of which are true, but there is nothing official. I can’t confirm anything without getting ahead of the club. I have a lot of respect for the institution that I’m at and probably yes, but I’m waiting for it to be announced officially.”

He added: “ Scoring a goal at home and with a win is a happy ending. Though the one thing I didn’t do was win a title here, but I think that I tried to do my best and give everything for the club.”

Almada scored 24 goals in 81 appearances across all competitions for Atlanta. He was also named MLS Young Player of the Year in 2023.

“I think I grew a lot (with Atlanta),” Almada said. “There’s a reason why I was called up to the World Cup and I was on the Argentine national team’s radar. I think it was a very important step from Velez to Atlanta.”

(Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — This offseason, the Atlanta Falcons reopened the door to their 2020 team by hiring head coach Raheem Morris – but running back Todd Gurley won’t be joining in the reunion.

Gurley, who starred collegiately at the University of Georgia from 2012-14 before becoming a top-10 pick by the Los Angeles Rams in 2015, enjoyed a strong professional career that includes three All-Pro nods and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award in 2017.

After being released by the Rams following the 2019 season, Gurley signed a one-year contract with the Falcons for what ultimately proved to be his final professional campaign.

Gurley led Atlanta in rushing in 2020, taking 195 carries for 678 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 25 catches for 164 yards through the air.

But the Falcons struggled, as an 0-5 start led to the firing of head coach Dan Quinn and the promotion of Morris, then the defensive coordinator, to interim head coach. There were also strict, league-issued guidelines amidst concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, which altered the season’s atmosphere.

Atlanta finished the season 4-7 under Morris’s guide and 4-12 overall – and Gurley, in a recent appearance on the 25/10 Show hosted by ex-NFL players LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson, didn’t hold back on his feelings about the year.

“I kind of had to see what they were talking about for real, because I played at Georgia,” Gurley said. “So, that one happened. And I was like, the season was sorry.”

Gurley’s 2020 season marked career lows in touches (220) and yards from scrimmage (842) while he faced questions surrounding the long-term health of his knee, which featured an “arthritic component” due to an ACL tear in college.

After completing his sixth professional campaign, Gurley reflected on his life state. He felt his resume had enough substance, and perhaps more importantly, he felt internally fulfilled.

“It was like, ‘Alright bro, I live in L.A. I’m chilling. I’ve [done] everything,’” Gurley said. “Of course, I would love to have a ring and stuff like that. But I went to a Super Bowl, lost. I wasn’t really tripping. I don’t know, I feel like I did a lot of stuff that I never would’ve thought I would’ve ever did.

“And just having fun, playing football, living out a lot of people’s dreams – that type of vibe.”

Gurley said he received an offer to play for the Baltimore Ravens, his childhood favorite time, during the 2021 season but took a broader perspective and decided he was content residing in Los Angeles.

The now-29-year-old Gurley hasn’t played a snap since the 2020 campaign closed. He hasn’t officially retired, but he’s expressed no interest in returning.

And even if the right offer comes to end in a place than “sorry,” he feels at peace with his playing career and current place in life.

“It really came down to, it didn’t really matter if I scored 10 more touchdowns or if I scored zero,” Gurley said. “It wasn’t going to satisfy me no more, for real.”

SHARPSBURG, Ga. (AP) —A man killed three people at a home near Atlanta before fatally shooting himself early Saturday, sheriff’s officials in Georgia said.

Deputies found two bodies in the driveway when they arrived at a home in Sharpsburg, Georgia, after receiving several 911 calls shortly after 1 a.m. Saturday, the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. Another body was in the doorway of the home, the post said.

As deputies arrived at the scene, a man ran into the home, and a gunshot was heard, sheriff’s officials said.

A SWAT team arrived and secured the home and found the body of the man, officials said.

Sheriff’s officials said they’re investigating the case as a “murder-suicide.” Officials have not released the names of the victims or the suspected shooter pending notification of family members.

Additional details were not immediately available.

Sharpsburg is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Atlanta.

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