Atlanta United has hit the ground running in 2024, taking a 2-1 win at Birmingham Legion in the first of five preseason friendlies. For the match, head coach Gonzalo Pineda sought to get as many players as possible active minutes, so a few new faces saw the pitch for the first time as members of the club.
To get familiar with some of the players added this offseason, here's a recap of Atlanta United's signings (and re-signings) as we move closer to the club's regular season opener on February 24:
Bartosz Slisz
The latest signing for Atlanta United is Bartosz Slisz (pronounced BAR-tos Sli-SH), who brings a wealth of experience for a player just 24 years old. He's made 258 professional appearances in Europe with clubs in his home country of Poland. Primarily a defensive midfielder, Slisz also wants to add to career totals of 10 goals and 16 assists across all competitions.
In his introductory press conference, Slisz shared the winning mentality he'll bring to the team: "I wanted a new challenge so I think this step was for me to achieve trophies. I know we won MLS once… so it’s a great time for the second."
- SIGNED through the 2028 MLS season | More Details
Stian Gregersen
Another new face from Europe added to Atlanta United is Stian Gregersen. The 28-year-old from Norway is a center back who showed an ability to streak up the sideline and contribute to the attack in the match in Birmingham. Gregersen brings international experience as well, making eight appearances for Norway's men's national team alongside Manchester City goal scorer Erling Haaland.
- SIGNED through the 2027 MLS season with an option for 2028 | More details
Derrick Williams
Williams joins Atlanta United by way of the MLS Re-Entry Draft, which allows clubs to select experienced MLS players who have not agreed to a new contract with their current club but may want to stay in the league. He's a veteran center back who spent the last three seasons in MLS with LA Galaxy and D.C. United. A European native, Williams started his career in the Irish youth circuit before moving up and spending 11 seasons in England, including time at Aston Villa and Bristol City.
- SIGNED through the 2025 season with an option for 2026 | More Details
Dax McCarty
Atlanta United will miss the presence of Ozzie Alonso, a longtime MLS player who announced his retirement on social media this offseason. To add a veteran voice, the club signed Dax McCarty who arrives to Atlanta via Nashville SC. McCarty has had one of the most sustainable careers in MLS, making 466 appearances in the MLS regular season over 18 seasons.
- SIGNED through the 2024 MLS season with an option for 2025 | More Details
Josh Cohen
The goalkeeping position was a question mark heading into this offseason. Vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra got to work, re-signing Quentin Westberg and adding free agent Josh Cohen. The latter brings a strong pedigree between the sticks. A California native, Cohen spent a significant part of his career in Israel, most recently for Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Premier League where he won three consecutive league titles. Cohen is 6-foot-1 and joins Westberg and veteran Brad Guzan to fill out the position.
- SIGNED through the 2025 season with an option for 2026 | More Details
Xande Silva
Xande is back with the 5-Stripes. After joining Atlanta during the summer transfer window on loan from French side Dijon, Atlanta United exercised the transfer option and brought back the exciting, flashy winger. Silva was part of a revamped attack that guided Atlanta United to the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2023. He tallied two goals and three assists for the 5-Stripes in the regular season, and added two more goals in the postseason.
- SIGNED through the 2025 season with an option for 2026 | More Details
Nick Firmino
Supporters who haven't watched as much of Atlanta United 2 got a glimpse of what Nick Firmino can do Saturday in the preseason match against Birmingham Legion. The Brazilian player showed out, including some nifty 1v1 moves to deliver the team's second goal. Firmino was a standout for Atlanta United 2 last season, leading the team with 16 goals scored, which set a new single-season club record. He finished on the Best XI for MLS NEXT Pro and a finalist for MVP. An exemplary season caught the attention of the first team, which signed him to a contract through the 2026 season as of October.
- SIGNED through the 2026 season | More Details
EfraÃn Morales
The 19-year-old Homegrown signed a contract extension after finishing 2023 on loan with Atlanta United 2. He started all 20 of his MLS NEXT Pro appearances, playing 1,722 minutes and leading the team in aerial duel percentage.Â
- RE-SIGNED to a contract extension through the 2024 season with an option for the 2025 season and an option for the 2026 season | More details
Aiden McFadden
In case you missed it, McFadden was on loan with Memphis 901 FC in the USL Championship for the final months of 2023. He rejoins Atlanta United, the club that selected him in the third round (No. 59 overall) of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, to give the team some depth at fullback.
