Expansion draft looking more likely for Atlanta United

A few bits of news came out in the wake of Minnesota United’s announcement last night about officially entering Major League Soccer in 2017. An important bit of discussion that affects Atlanta United is the greater likelihood of an expansion draft after the current MLS season.

Jeff Reuter wrote for MLSSoccer.com that Minnesota technical director Manny Lagos “confirmed that they expect to be a part of an Expansion Draft this offseason.”

Wes Burdine of FiftyFive.One wrote more on the likelihood of an expansion draft and cited Minnesota owner Bill McGuire’s comments to the Pioneer Press.

This would run counter to reports late last year that mentioned that the league was exploring the possibility of eliminating the expansion draft process this year. Atlanta United president Darren Eales told the Mouths of the South that he did not know what the league’s decision would be on the expansion draft in June.

In 2014, the draw to decide who picked first in the expansion draft or the SuperDraft took place on September 24. If the league wanted to stay on that timeline, there is plenty of time to work out the details.