Thanks to his virtuoso skills and outstanding collective awareness, Thiago Almada has already established himself as a cherished player for Atlanta United, as fans dream of success driven by their Argentinian star. But his MLS days could also be numbered, with growing admiration and interest from Europe, amidst reports that several Premier League sides are monitoring his progress.
Almada has been in exquisite form during the opening matches of the 2023 MLS campaign, registering 4 goals and 4 assists in just 4 appearances with Atlanta United, recognized as MVP in 3 of those matches, captivating the America soccer scene with every performance. Outstanding displays include scoring twice in stoppage time against San Jose Quakes, as the 21-year-old won the game for his team.
During the following matches at home against Toronto and on the road in Charlotte, Almada showcased his excellent creativity and vision, directly contributing assists that led to goals in both games for Atlanta. Then came another fantastic show, when The Five Stripes beat visiting Portland Timbers 5-1 at the Mercedez-Benz Stadium, as Almada axed his way through the rival defense with 2 goals and 2 assists.
Quality MLS performances attracting European interest
Almada has always aimed to improve his abilities, once admitting the desire to match the talents of his favorite players. One of his first soccer icons was Carlos Tevez, who actually hails from the same Ciudadela neighborhood of Buenos Aires, where the latest Atlanta United star was also born. Back when Tevez went on to strut his stuff with Manchester City in England, then Juventus in Italy, obviously. Almada was a huge fan.
Most intriguingly of all, Manchester City almost swooped for Almada in 2019. According to the daily sports outlet Ole, Man City presented a formal bid for the then-18-year-old, estimated to be worth just shy of $13 million. However, when Velez Sarsfield dug in their heels and sought a bigger fee, the Premier League club refused to go any higher, opting instead to withdraw their approach and pursue alternative targets.
Yet rumors in England persist about continued interest surrounding Almada, with Manchester City continuing to track his MLS performances, while neighbors Manchester United are also said to be watching with more than just a passing interest. French giants PSG may also be attracted to moving for Almeda, especially now that Lionel Messi could be heading to the MLS, as the Parisian club gets ready for a complete squad overhaul.
Should he continue to keep dazzling the MLS crowds, Atlanta United may eventually be resigned to the fact his time at the club will eventually have a limit. His performances are hard to ignore, whenever scouts and sporting directors at clubs in Europe are drawing up their shortlists, elevating the Argentina ace whenever considering what he could offer their teams.
Thiago Almada consistently earns high praise
Another string to the bow for Almada is his impressive resume in soccer, having already become an established international player with Argentina, forming part of the squad that lifted the glittering World Cup trophy. Although his own contribution was limited to just 6 minutes on the pitch, during the group stage against Poland, there are strong expectations he will become a vital player for the national team.
Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni was clearly impressed by Almada, when questioned about his inclusion in the World Cup squad. “He is a player with the level to be there,” he said. “This is a kid with a huge future ahead of him. And we’re not only thinking about now, we are working with the future in mind.”
Shortly after making his national team debut with Argentina, appearing from the bench as a second-half substitute against Honduras in September 2022, that outing hosted in Miami earned glowing praise from team captain Lionel Messi. “Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He’s clever and isn’t afraid of anything,” Messi said. And when Messi, widely considered the great soccer player of all time, is talking about other players, people generally tend to pay attention.
As the head coach of Atlanta United, Gonzalo Pineda often finds himself running out of superlatives, whenever asked about the magician in attacking midfield. But aside from the glowing references covering his talents and contributions, “what I love is his humility,” Pineda recently told reporters, identifying an “unselfish” player who is focused on the collective success of his team.
Further MLS records can be broken
When he made the switch from Vélez Sarsfield to Atlanta United, officially announced on 10 February 2022, Almada set a new league-record for MLS imports. His deal reportedly cost $16 million, which is the highest transfer fee spent on an incoming player. Right now, that valuation could easily be doubled, especially considering the fact his current deal extends to December 2025, although The Five Stripes have no pressing need to sell their prized asset.
But if and perhaps when Atlanta United become open to the idea, they would probably smash the record set by themselves for an outbound MLS player. Miguel Almirón excelled for them, but once the inevitable transfer offer came from Newcastle United in January 2019, the Premier League side happily stumped up $26 million to secure his talents. This was more than three times the original investment for the Paraguayan international.
Atlanta United find themselves in a commanding position, should any of the current interest become something more concrete, as the level of speculation grows around potential Almada suitors. He is certainly grabbing the attention of scouts from top European clubs, some of whom could be prepared to formalize bids in the summer, when the transfer window reopens. How long such offers can be resisted is possibly just a question of time.
Heath Chesters covers international soccer for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @HeathGCF