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Atlanta United announced today it has acquired goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira via trade from Inter Miami CF in exchange for midfielder Mo Adams.
“Dylan is a goalkeeper we’re familiar with from his time at the club and we’re pleased to add him to our roster,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in the team’s press release. “He will bring quality and competition to our goalkeeper group.”
That group consists of only one MLS player, Brad Guzan, after it was announced yesterday that former Atlanta United goalkeeper Alec Kann would be signing with FC Cincinnati. Bocanegra had told media on December 1 that despite the team declining its club option, it was in discussions with the 31-year old Georgia native to bring him back.
Castanheira is a player Atlanta is familiar with, having signed his first professional contract with Atlanta United 2 prior to the 2019 USL Championship season and made 21 appearances. Castanheira never made an MLS appearance for Miami last year (occupied the bench 12 times) and made only two starts this season for the club’s USL League One team, Fort Lauderdale CF, where he also played during the 2020 season. He made 11 appearances with Fort Lauderdale in 2020.
Neither player was likely to return to their previous clubs after both Adams and Castanheira had their club options declined at the end of the season. Normally, both players would’ve entered MLS’s re-entry draft where they could be selected by any team in the league. But both players elected to opt out of the draft, allowing their MLS rights to be traded.
It’s yet to be determined whether Castanheira will fill Kann’s place as Guzan’s deputy on the MLS roster. In fact, I’d be surprised if that was the case. The team always needed to sign more than one goalkeeper this offseason, and Castanheira could very well continue his development as an Atlanta United 2 player in 2022. Bocanegra told media on December 1 that the club is still in negotiations with Rocco Rios Novo, but could look elsewhere around the league for a reliable veteran to add to the squad.