Atlanta United Mutually Ends Emerson Hyndman’s Contract, Among Other Roster Changes

Atlanta United’s front office was just biding their time until after the new year so everyone was well recovered from the holidays before diving headfirst into a smorgasbord of roster changes, loans, transfers, and the like. Wake up, y’all, we’re knee deep in cap space now.

The Five Stripes announced this morning that they had mutually agreed to terminate Emerson Hyndman’s contract. Hyndman entered the fray back in 2019 when Atlanta was deep in their U.S. Open Cup run and he became a frequent option in midfield. However, he’s missed significant time since 2021 due to injury despite returning - and then subsequently disappearing again - in mid 2022.

Technical director Carlos Bocanegra said of Hyndman:

“We had a good conversation with Emerson and decided together that it would be mutually beneficial for him to get a fresh start,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said. “He has been a great professional and teammate throughout his time in Atlanta and we want to thank him for his contributions to the club. We wish him the best in his future.”

The move certainly clears up significant cap space, adding even more room for Garth Lagerway and Bocanegra to make some moves throughout 2023. Importantly, this wasn’t announced as Atlanta United’s one annual roster cut, which will still be vital if they need to use it on Eric Lopez or, forbid, Josef Martinez.

But wait, there’s more!

S.K. Beveren, the club where Tyler Wolff is on loan, announced that the young midfielder is on his way back to Atlanta.

This is crucial because Felipe Cardenas of The Athletic also announced this morning that, per MLS sources, Marcelino Moreno is close to completing a loan to Brazilian side Coritiba. The rumor popped up in Brazilian media a couple of days ago but was quickly, and oddly, removed.

With Moreno likely gone, that leaves Almada as the sole number 10, but how long can anyone truly expect the World Cup winning wonderkid to stay on the roster? Tyler Wolff being recalled will help with that conundrum, but it’ll be very curious to see how the front office navigates that vital midfield position through 2023.

With the Alan Franco news likely occurring within the week, Atlanta United’s offseason is truly heating up. Let us know what you think so far in the comments!