Atlanta United acquires Andrew Gutman from Celtic, sends to New York Red Bulls on loan

Atlanta United announced today that it has signed left back Andrew Gutman on a permanent deal from Celtic. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In addition to the move, the club has sent the defender on a season-long loan to the New York Red Bulls in exchange for a third-round MLS SuperDraft pick in 2024 and $50,000 in General Allocation Money.

The Five Stripes acquired Gutman’s MLS rights early this offseason ahead of the MLS Re-Entry draft when they traded $75,000 in GAM to FC Cincinnati for the first overall pick.

This move is an interesting one as it brings in less value overall than the club initially shelled out for his rights. However, they obtain his permanent rights for further usage should they need a left back or to acquire more assets in the future.

With George Bello and Mikey Ambrose already on the roster there isn’t much need for Gutman’s services in the short-term. However, with the expectation of Bello wanting a transfer to Europe in the future, having Gutman around as an insurance policy makes a lot of sense.