Why Eldor Shomurodov is perfect for Atlanta United | OneFootball

Atlanta United are reportedly in talks to sign AS Roma striker Eldor Shomurodov in a bid to bolster their striker options as the MLS regular seasons nears its conclusion.

Reports first surfaced Tuesday morning about the potential move with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the Five Stripes' interest in the player.

There's no denying that Atlanta need reinforcements in the final third and up front and they could get just that should they complete the signing of Shomurodov before the MLS Secondary Transfer Window slams shut on Wednesday night.

Here's why Shomurodov is perfect for Atlanta as they eye a playoff spot in the last two months of the season.

Why Eldor Shomurodov is perfect for Atlanta United

Eldor Shomurodov could lead the line for Atlanta / Zhizhao Wu/GettyImages

Atlanta's CEO and President Garth Lagerwey -- who won MLS Cups while in charge of the front office with Seattle Sounders and Real Salt Lake -- has explained that the club is targeting players still in their prime, playing in one of the top five leagues in Europe (or leagues just outside that threshold such as the Super Lig, League Two, Liga Portugal, etc).

Last summer, we saw Lagerwey and Co. bring in Saba Lobjanidze from the Super Lig, Jamal Thiare from Ligue 1 and Tristan Muyumba and Xande Silva from Ligue 2. Atlanta's interest in Shomurodov continues this trend in finding players that may not be as impactful at their current club, but these same players could evolve into important figures in MLS with the right set-up and players around them.

There's no getting around the fact that Shomurodov's last season-and-a-half hasn't been that impressive. The 29-year-old managed just three goals in 24 appearances on loan at Serie A outfit Cagliari during the 2023/24 while scoring once in 16 showings for Spezia during a short-term loan spell from January to June of 2023.

Shomurodov was on loan at Cagliari last season / Giuseppe Bellini/GettyImages

However, Shomurodov has impressed on the international stage with Uzbekistan. Shomurodov has managed 27 goals in 55 appearances for his country, and while they might not play the most difficult opponents during Euro and World Cup Qualifiers, he's still shown he can put Uzbekistan on his back time and time again.

Shomurodov has several years of combined experience in the Italian top flight and the Russian Premier League and with Atlanta's addition of Russia international Alexey Miranchuk, the two could form a formidable partnership in the final third to lead Atlanta back to relevance. With Shomurodov's contract expiring in June 2026, Roma could be keen to get him off their books.

As Atlanta are still without a permanent boss with interim head coach Rob Valentino at the helm, it's tough to say whether Shomurodov would fit right in with the next head coach's philosophy -- which means the front office believes he's a player that could fit in most, if not all systems.

Shomurodov is similar to previous Atlanta forward Giorgos Giakoumakis, standing at six-feet, three-inches tall. While Daniel Rios and Thiare have done serviceable jobs after Giakoumakis' departure, Shomurodov could offer a more physical presence in the box and add more overall quality to the position.

The only major question mark about Shomurodov is whether he would be joining as a Designated Player. Atlanta currently have one DP slot open for the remainder of the season with Miranchuk and defender Stian Gregersen as the team's DPs, but there have been talks about Atlanta buying down the Norwegian's salary cap impact so that the team would have two open DP slots for the 2025 season.

Knowing how Atlanta brought in Gregersen and Lobjanidze as Designated Players before buying down their cap impacts, it would make sense for them to do the same with Shomurodov -- which would mean that they could perhaps still move into the 2025 season with two open DP spots.