Gabriel Heinze quickly found how much the squad needed to be changed, and he starti..."/> Gabriel Heinze quickly found how much the squad needed to be changed, and he starti..."/>

Atlanta United’s most exciting signings ahead of 2021

Paraguay's U-23 football player Erik Lopez (C) takes part in a training session in Ypane, Paraguay, on January 15, 2020, ahead of the Pre-Olympic Tournament qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. - The U-23 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament will take place in the Colombian cities of Armenia, Bucaramanga and Pereira between January 18 and February 9, 2020. (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE / AFP) (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE/AFP via Getty Images)
Paraguay's U-23 football player Erik Lopez (C) takes part in a training session in Ypane, Paraguay, on January 15, 2020, ahead of the Pre-Olympic Tournament qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. - The U-23 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament will take place in the Colombian cities of Armenia, Bucaramanga and Pereira between January 18 and February 9, 2020. (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE / AFP) (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE/AFP via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 3
Next
Paraguay’s U-23 football player Erik Lopez (C) takes part in a training session in Ypane, Paraguay, on January 15, 2020, ahead of the Pre-Olympic Tournament qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. – The U-23 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament will take place in the Colombian cities of Armenia, Bucaramanga and Pereira between January 18 and February 9, 2020. (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE / AFP) (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE/AFP via Getty Images)
Paraguay’s U-23 football player Erik Lopez (C) takes part in a training session in Ypane, Paraguay, on January 15, 2020, ahead of the Pre-Olympic Tournament qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. – The U-23 South American Pre-Olympic Tournament will take place in the Colombian cities of Armenia, Bucaramanga and Pereira between January 18 and February 9, 2020. (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE / AFP) (Photo by NORBERTO DUARTE/AFP via Getty Images) /

3. Erik Lopez (ST)

Heinze focused more on reinvigorating the attack during the beginning of his reign. The striker corps now comprises of Josef Martinez (coming off of an ACL injury), Cubo Torres (a Concacaf vet, and one of the club’s many panic signings in 2020), Jackson Conway (a bump from the second team with a single appearance), Lisandro Lopez (a 37-year-old personal favorite of Heinze), and Erik Lopez. Lopez joined Atlanta United 2 in the Summer because of international spot restrictions, but now it looks like he will get an entire season to flourish under new management. All the players listed have strong reason to compete for the spot after Josef Martinez, but Lisandro and Erik Lopez appear like the two likeliest candidates. And one would expect a quick striker that can also double as a false-nine to take the spot over Lisandro Lopez, who may only have a season or two left in his entire career.