Official: Atlanta United adds CB Juan Jose Sanchez Purata on loan from Tigres

Update: Atlanta United has made it official by announcing the signing of Tigres UANL center back Juan Jose Sanchez Purata on loan. Like goalkeeper Raúl Gudiño, who the team signed yesterday, these player will not be able to play in the league until the transfer window officially opens on July 7. However, both players are expected to be in team training beginning today and will spend the next couple weeks getting up to speed so they can hit the ground running.

TUDN initially reported the deal, which you can read below.

Atlanta United’s defense appears on the verge of receiving some depth.

According to TUDN’s Daniel Nohra and Vladimir Garcia, Tigres UANL centerback Juan Jose Sanchez Purata “is finalizing his departure” from the club and will join Atlanta on loan, with the club holding an option to buy him outright. Per Nohra and Garcia, an official announcement could come on Sunday.

Sanchez Purata has been with Tigres’ senior team since 2017. In the 2021-2022 campaign, he made a total 13 appearances; however, per TUDN, just 4 of those was in the Clausura as he clearly fell out of the plans of manager Miguel Herrera.

Atlanta’s center back unit is already down Miles Robinson, who suffered a ruptured Achilles on May 7 against Chicago Fire FC. Gonzalo Pineda has leaned on Alan Franco and Alex De John as a CB pairing in recent matches leading into the international break, but outside of George Campbell, Atlanta don’t have much in the ranks at the spot outside of Bryce Washington and Efrain Morales. Sanchez Purata gives them at least some experience at the position, and with it being a loan with an option to buy, it seems like a relatively low risk proposition.