Atlanta United: Will Josef Martinez stay in MLS despite rumors?

Following his monumental goal against Orlando City on Friday, Josef Martinez is already being linked to clubs in Europe. But could he, despite the rumors, stay at Atlanta United?

The Man of the Year in Major League Soccer has set the league ablaze with his incredible goalscoring record. On Friday, Josef Martinez etched his name into the history books scoring his 28th goal of the season, which sets a new all-time high for goals scored in an MLS regular season.

Martinez has been the definition of consistency for a good part of the season, which has garnered the deserved attention of clubs from Europe’s top leagues. Stuart Holden of Fox Soccer confirmed reports of interest from Europe during the Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders clash on Sunday.

With the European transfer window closing shortly, a massive bid would have to spur Atlanta United to do the unthinkable and send their beloved striker back to the European leagues. That is why this move seems very unlikely. Less than four months remain in the MLS season and it would deal a massive blow to Atlanta’s title ambitions.

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Atlanta still needs Martinez for the push towards the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield as he has been an invaluable lethal weapon in attack. As MLS Cup favorites, Atlanta will want to deliver for their supporters and to move Martinez so late into the season would seem like a huge mistake that could have negative effects on both the players and fan base as a whole.

Another Atlanta star, Miguel Almiron, has been linked to European clubs for a good part of the year and some were preparing for his departure this summer. But that was thwarted when he stated he hoped to be back in Europe in 2019.

With that being said, the time may be drawing near for Martinez’s transfer back to a top European league. Having arrived from Torino just last season, he appears poised to make a return and make a name for himself in one of the top five leagues at some point in the near future. Much like Almiron, Martinez has taken advantage of his role in Atlanta to re-establish himself as an elite player.

What Martinez has done in such a short period of time has done remarkable things for the league and he has certainly helped develop the strong football culture in Atlanta. To be a part of that has to be a special moment in Martinez’s career and he has enjoyed his time in the city.

As such, don’t expect his transfer to happen in the immediate future. But these reports do say that in 2019, he may be in a different uniform. It would be very surprising if he wasn’t.