OFFICIAL: Atlanta United signs Marcelino Moreno from Lanús

It’s officially official. Atlanta United have completed their latest big acquisition. The club announced today that it has signed midfielder Marcelino Moreno from Lanús. The 25-year-old joins the club and fills the third Designated Player slot.

Financial details of the deal we not officially disclosed, but reports out of Argentina have the Five Stripes paying around a $7 million transfer fee for the versatile midfielder.

“We’re pleased to bring in a player of Marcelino’s caliber and look forward to welcoming him to the club,” said Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra. “He is a dynamic attacking midfielder who has proven to be a consistent performer in the Argentine Superliga. He has fantastic balance and change of direction ability and is a player who can create on his own or bring others into the game.”

While not a like for like replacement, the departure of Pity Martinez earlier this month paved the way for Moreno to arrive in Atlanta. Pity was a pure attacking player while Moreno is more of a two-way threat, capable of playing in a box-to-box role or in several attacking spots.

Atlanta United are no stranger to doing business with Lanús. They can only hope their second signing from the club has a fraction of the success as Miguel Almirón had during his time.

During his time in the Argentine Superliga, Moreno has notched four goals and 11 assists in four league seasons. He’s won over the Lanus fans with his exciting ability on the ball and penchant for dribbling past opponents at an extremely high rate.

For a club desperate for any type of spark, Moreno should find the field as soon as humanly possible. Here’s to hoping he can make an early impact.

Welcome to Atlanta, Marcelino!