Gerardo “Tata” Martino has returned to Major League Soccer with Atlanta United, who have once again turned to the Argentine coach in hopes of stepping back into the league spotlight. As the club prepares its roster for a demanding season, Atlanta United are reportedly set to sign one of Lionel Messi’s former teammates from Inter Miami who was also part of the 2025 MLS Cup–winning campaign.
Following the blockbuster arrival of Emmanuel Latte-Lath and the return of Miguel Almirón, expectations began to rise around the Five Stripes in 2025. Well short of those ambitions, Atlanta United finished the MLS season in 14th place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points, 25 shy of the play-in spots, prompting the dismissal of Ronny Deila as head coach and setting a higher bar for 2026.
As reported by Tom Bogert, Atlanta United are set to sign 34-year-old Fafa Picault. The Haitian winger saw his contract with Inter Miami expire at the end of last season, and after gradually falling out of favor with head coach Javier Mascherano, he entered free agency.
In this scenario, Atlanta would make yet another winter-window addition, with Picault representing an intriguing option on a free transfer. With an average squad age of 24.8 years, according to Sofascore, the winger (who has played 244 MLS matches, scoring 60 goals and adding 26 assists) would bring not only depth but also valuable experience to a young team that fell short of expectations last season.
Picault joined the Herons in 2025 after leaving the Vancouver Whitecaps on a free transfer and began the campaign as a key rotation piece, sharing attacking duties alongside Messi. The emergence of Tadeo Allende and Mateo Silvetti reduced his role under Mascherano, but he still remained part of the squad that captured both the Eastern Conference and MLS Cup in December, finishing his time in Fort Lauderdale with 28 appearances and four goals.
Atlanta United and an active transfer window
The hiring of Deila on a three-year deal, following his successful spell at New York City FC, initially raised expectations in Georgia. However, slipping near the bottom of the standings despite one of the largest single-season spending sprees in MLS history led the club’s leadership to terminate the Norwegian’s contract and return to their roots with Martino, the first head coach in franchise history.
At his introductory press conference, Martino outlined expectations for both supporters and players ahead of the 2026 season. “We believe that we have the opportunity to change that dynamic and be able to establish (an) identity with the fanbase,” he stated. “We think that the players who make up this roster have more potential than they showed in the standings. By adding a few new faces to the team, we’ll be able to form a competitive group,” he added when discussing the squad.
As the coach indicated, Atlanta United have begun a recruitment push, particularly targeting Spanish-speaking players in a strategy reminiscent of Martino’s first stint. So far, the Five Stripes have secured Argentine signings Elías Báez, Tomás Jacob, and Lucas Hoyos, re-signed Venezuelan Ronald Hernández, and added Adrián Gill from FC Barcelona B, as the manager looks to establish a foundation of experienced players while blending in youth to shape his preferred style.