Atlanta United: Brooks Lennon a neat pick-up with big if

On Monday, Atlanta United acquired Brooks Lennon for $300,000 in allocation money. It is a neat pick-up indeed, but it comes with an if, the future of Julian Gressel.

The Major League Soccer offseason is really starting to get going. On Monday, three major deals were announced, all of which come with extreme intrigue.

Inter Miami signed former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles on a free-agent deal, an extremely astute pick-up for a team looking for both experience and a big-name splash. FC Dallas traded Dominique Badji to Nashville SC for a healthy $175,000 in 2020 Targeted Allocation Money and $150,000 in 2020 General Allocation Money. But perhaps the most interesting deal of the day came in Georgia. It is not necessarily the most groundbreaking, but it might be the one that ripples most throughout MLS.

In a smart, underhand move, Atlanta United signed versatile American Brooks Lennon from Real Salt Lake for $150,000 in TAM and $150,000 in GAM. It is a small amount to pay for a young, he is still only 22, high-ceiling, positionally flexible MLS regular.

And as Atlanta United VP and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement, there is great anticipation for Lennon’s arrival:

"“Brooks is a versatile young player and we are pleased to add him to our club. In addition to his vast experience on the international level with U.S. Youth National Teams, he has proven to be a reliable starter in MLS. He can play both fullback and wing positions and we expect him to have an integral role in our long-term plans.”"

Seemingly viewed as a right-back, with also the ability to play in midfield, Lennon will rival Franco Escobar for minutes at full-back and can help provide yet more tactical flexibility for Frank de Boer, who enjoyed the freedom that having versatile players in his squad afforded him.

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Yet, there is a rather large if to this whole scenario. While Lennon is astute acquisition to the Atlanta United squad and could yet develop into a key player under de Boer for many years to come, his arrival perhaps suggests the potential departure of another versatile, full-back turned winger turned midfielder, Julian Gressel.

Gressel has been one of the best SuperDraft picks in recent history. He has nine, 14 and 12 assists in his three years in MLS, produced more key passes than any other player bar Sebastian Blanco last year, and brings a tactical understanding and positional awareness that is extremely rare in a typically backwards and novice league.

If you wanted a replacement for a player like Gressel, who is stalling on a new contract, frustrated with the lack of forward negotiations from the Five Stripes, and is reportedly asking for a major pay rise, Lennon would be it. And for Atlanta United, that would obviously spell trouble.

In a vacuum, the Lennon trade is a neat one. But it comes with a rather large if, the future of Julian Gressel. For Atlanta, then, these are serious times indeed.