Atlanta United must secure this one transfer before it's too late | OneFootball

Excuse us for repeating ourselves. But Atlanta United still have a glaring need heading into the end of the primary transfer window, one that stands out even more after last Saturday's 3-0 shellacking at the Philadelphia Union.

Atlanta looked completely out of sorts during their second consecutive defeat, a result that sank the Five Stripes to 12th place in the Eastern Conference. And maybe the most concerning sign came afterward when the only players who addressed the media postgame were Noah Cobb and Ajani Fortune, who have made three combined starts this season.

No one knows the actual dressing room dynamic except for the players themselves. But that sure suggests a lack of internal leadership that all good teams have, regardless of whatever discipline manager Ronny Deila and his staff try to impart.

It's probably when, not if

It feels almost certain that Garth Lagerwey, Chris Henderson and the rest of Atlanta's front office will try to add some MLS veteran leadership presence at some point through the transfer market. But with the primary window closing on Wednesday, the question is timing.

If Atlanta waits until the summer, the best-case scenario is that they have a new addition join their ranks for the final 10 matches of the regular season. Make a move now and it becomes the last 25 matches.

The forgiving MLS Cup Playoff format makes that choice less obvious than it might be in other leagues. Perhaps this team is good enough to muddle along and stay within touching distance of the playoffs through the end of July, even if it continues to underachieve.

However, there are potentially some plug-and-play MLS veterans who could be on the market now and available at the right price. The clearest candidates would appear to be in South Florida, where former Atlanta wingback Julian Gressel and goalkeeper Drake Callender both could be expendable, although sizable contracts would require some finessing to make trades work.

Gressel in particular would have immediate credibility upon returning to Atlanta, having been a part of the club in its first two seasons. Callender might fill a more immediate need, as it's getting harder to ignore Brad Guzan's continued struggles in goal.

We already discussed other options last week, so perhaps it's futile to go through them again. But the reality is that Atlanta United has more resources available than most clubs. Intraleague cash transfers are now legal. And as teams like the San Jose Earthquakes are showing right now, if there's a willingness to meet another club's valuation of a player, most players -- especially glue guys like Atlanta needs -- can be had.