Atlanta United have transferred midfielder Thiago Almada to Brazilian top-flight side Botafogo for an MLS-record fee, the club announced Saturday.
Almada, a 2022 FIFA World Cup champion with Argentina, joined Atlanta in February 2022 for a reported MLS-record $16 million fee from boyhood side Vélez Sarsfield.
Now, he exits for a sum exceeding two previous benchmark deals: when Alphonso Davies joined Bayern Munich from Vancouver Whitecaps FC in 2018 and when Miguel Almirón joined Newcastle United from Atlanta in 2019.
Additionally, as part of the deal, reports indicate the 23-year-old Almada will progress to Lyon next winter. The Ligue 1 side, Crystal Palace (Premier League), and Botafogo are part of the John Textor-led Eagle Football Holdings ownership group.
“We spent more than a year recruiting Thiago to join Atlanta United, and during that process, we agreed that our club could provide a great platform to showcase his abilities, and he would have the opportunity to continue his development until the time was right for him to move on to the next challenge,” vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a release.
Credit: MLS Scoccer.com
