Ezequiel Barco’s future with Atlanta United still cloudy

Atlanta United midfielder Ezequiel Barco #8 dribbles the ball during the match against D.C. United Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Mitchell Martin/Atlanta United)

Credit: Mitchell Martin/Atlanta United

Credit: Mitchell Martin/Atlanta United

Atlanta United midfielder Ezequiel Barco #8 dribbles the ball during the match against D.C. United Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Mitchell Martin/Atlanta United)

Ezequiel Barco’s future with Atlanta United was made no clearer Wednesday by club President Darren Eales.

Eales declined to comment on reports that two Brazilian clubs, Flamengo and Internacional, made offers for the 22-year-old midfielder.

Barco wasn’t with the club Tuesday for its first training session. The club said that it is an excused absence. Eales declined to answer a question regarding when Barco is expected to report. The team’s first game is scheduled for Feb. 27 against Sporting KC at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“The right time to speculate on that is if something happens,” Eales said. “But what I will say is Zeke has been a fantastic professional.”

Atlanta United purchased Barco from Independiente in Argentina for more than $13 million before the 2018 season. The signing was considered a coup for the club and MLS because Barco was thought to be one of the rising stars in South America.

Things haven’t worked out as well as expected.

The club did win the MLS Cup in 2018, Barco’s first season, but he didn’t play an impactful role in that. The club won two more trophies in 2019, the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup, but Barco’s impact again wasn’t as much as expected.

In four seasons, Barco has made 81 appearances, with 17 goals and 17 assists. Last season was his best, with seven goals and eight assists.

The team needs to move Barco to bring in Thiago Almada, another Argentinian playmaker who Eales said the club has an option on.

Eales said the transfer market is depressed because of COVID-19.

“It hit hard for clubs the whole world over, and naturally there was a reticence to spend as much I think we’ve seen,” he said. “The market has gone down, and I think it will bounce back. It always does. I think we’re seeing the shoots of that now, but I think we’re still probably at least one more window to two windows away from getting back to the sort of levels that we were getting towards before COVID here.”

Erik Lopez, another player who is excused from training camp, was introduced by Banfield in Argentina earlier this week. Eales joked Wednesday that it’s pretty obvious where Lopez is going. He said the paperwork hasn’t been completed on the loan. Lopez, 20, scored one goal last year.

Loaning Lopez will open an Under-22 slot on Atlanta United’s roster that Eales said he expects the club will fill.

x

For more content about Atlanta United

Follow me on Twitter @DougRobersonAJC

On Facebook at Atlanta United News Now

On Instagram at DouglasDavidRoberson

Atlanta United coverage on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

-

Atlanta United’s 2022 MLS schedule

Feb. 27 vs. Sporting KC, 3 p.m., FS1

March 5 at Colorado, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

March 13 vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m., FS1

March 19 vs. Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

April 2 at D.C. United, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

April 9 at Charlotte, 3 p.m., ESPN

April 16 vs. Cincinnati, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

April 24 at Miami, 1 p.m., ESPN

April 30 at Montreal, 4 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

May 7 vs. Chicago, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

May 15 vs. New England, 2 p.m., ESPN

May 21 at Nashville, 7:30 p.m. FOX

May 28 vs. Columbus Crew, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

June 19 vs Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN2

June 25 at Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

June 30 at New York Red Bulls, 8 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

July 3 at NYCFC, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

July 9 vs. Austin, 7 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

July 13 vs. Real Salt Lake, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

July 17 vs. Orlando, 3 p.m., ABC

July 24 at L.A. Galaxy, 9:30 p.m., FS1

July 30 at Chicago, 5 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

August 6 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., ABC

August 13 at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m. BSSO/BSSE

August 17 vs. New York Red Bulls, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

August 21 at Columbus, 6 p.m., FS1

August 28 vs. D.C. United, 4 p.m., UNIV

August 31 at Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4 at Portland, 5:30 p.m., FOX

Sept. 10 vs. Toronto, 7:30 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

Sept. 14 at Orlando, 6 p.m., BSSO/BSSE

Sept 17 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., UniMas

Oct. 1 at New England, 1 p.m., UniMas

Oct. 9 vs. NYCFC, TBD, BSSO/BSSE