OFFICIAL: Atlanta United Sign Chivas Forward Ronaldo Cisneros on loan

UPDATE 3-21-22

Atlanta United today announced it has acquired Mexican forward Ronaldo Cisneros from Chivas Guadalajara on loan through July 7 with an option to extend through the end of the 2022 season and a purchase option. Cisneros will occupy an international roster spot pending the receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC) and P-1 Visa.

“We’re pleased to add Ronaldo and look forward to integrating him into the group,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in the team’s press release. “While we were already familiar with him, we were able to see him play in person during our preseason trip to Guadalajara. We like his profile, he can play direct and stretch the opposition, and has the versatility to play up top or on the wing as part of a front three.”

As if Saturday’s match against Montreal wasn’t enough to play with the emotions of Atlanta United supporters, Tom Bogert of MLS is reporting this morning that the front office are placing the finishing touches with Chivas to bring Ronaldo Cisneros to Atlanta on a loan.

At first glance this one seems to be out of left field, it’s worth remembering that Atlanta was tied to another backup striker in Luca Martinez Dupuy just prior to the season. If this deal goes through, it’ll be another depth piece for Gonzalo Pineda to call on as the team approaches the U.S. Open Cup. At this point, it’s safe to say Bocanegra and Eales are pushing for these signings so they never again have to deal with the lack of depth that occurred after Josef’s ACL injury. Cisneros would be a huge option to have in Pineda’s back pocket as a somewhat stylistically different player than Martinez.

Cisneros was a Mexican youth international who currently isn’t receiving a ton of minutes with the first team. However, he’s proved his worth over the years, scoring 6 goals in 5 appearances in the Conacacaf U-20 Championship in 2017. Much more recently, he has 6 goals and 2 assists in 19 total appearances in the ‘21 season for Chivas’ Liga de Expansión MX team, Club Deportivo Tapatío. The 25 year old is a naturally right footed striker, but a quick dive into his recent stats shows a pretty even goal-scoring ability with either foot. It’s also worth mentioning that he has the ability to play as a winger, which opens up the options for Pineda even further.

We’ll see how this plays out over the international window, as this would be the perfect time to get the process up to speed.