Atlanta United Ready to Go Big on a New Striker | OneFootball

Atlanta United is aiming high, and when I say high, I mean the kind of high that actually makes a difference. The team is on the hunt for a striker, a true "No. 9" who can come in and light it up. After all, Major League Soccer (MLS) is getting more competitive by the day, and with the season right around the corner, Atlanta knows it needs someone to shine up front, someone who can get the job done. And yeah, the club’s got two targets in mind: Emmanuel Latte Lath and Odsonne Édouard.

Let’s kick things off with the younger of the two, Emmanuel Latte Lath. The guy’s 26 and plays for Middlesbrough, a team in the Championship, England's second-tier league. MLS is becoming more interesting, and a lot of players from the Championship have potential. The thing is, Latte Lath has spent some good time in Europe, and like any player coming from a competitive environment like the Championship, he’s got some experience under his belt. A quick attack, a nose for goals, and a playing style that could mesh well with the MLS, where the pace is intense and technique often makes all the difference.

He doesn’t have the star power of a Premier League player, but who says that’s a problem? Atlanta United needs someone who can perform on the field, and MLS, more often than not, surprises us with players who aren’t mega international stars but still deliver what the team needs. Latte Lath is definitely a gamble, but a calculated one.

Now, if you think Atlanta United is only looking for a promising talent, hold onto your hat for the next name: Odsonne Édouard. The guy’s also 26 but has already made a name for himself in the Premier League playing for Crystal Palace. The catch? The talented Frenchman is currently on loan to Leicester until the middle of this year. What does that mean? Well, it means his career’s in a bit of limbo, with a lot more visibility but also a big question mark. Will this loan spell be his breakthrough moment, or will it mark the decline of his career?

Édouard’s been playing at the highest level in the Premier League, one of the most demanding leagues in the world, and that makes a huge difference. You don’t just get a starting spot at Crystal Palace for no reason, and the guy’s got refined technical skills, not to mention his physical presence, which would make a big impact on a team like Atlanta United. When it comes to scoring goals, the Frenchman’s got a solid track record, and that’s something Atlanta desperately needs.

If Atlanta United can land Édouard, my friend, this team’s going to have a whole new look, a much more dangerous one with a potent attack. But like any Premier League player transitioning to MLS, he might face some growing pains in adapting to a new league.

Atlanta United, like many MLS teams right now, is at a point where they need all the quality they can get. We’re not just talking about having a good team, but about being one of the squads that can seriously contend for the top spot. To do that, they’ll need a striker like Latte Lath or Édouard, and either one could be a game-changer.

But what really stands out here is the smart play by Atlanta United’s front office. The team is keeping an eye on two very different options, which shows a well-thought-out strategy. On one hand, they’ve got the risk and the bet on a talent that still needs to prove himself at the highest level, like Latte Lath. On the other, there’s the guy with Premier League pedigree, but with the risk of not fully adapting to MLS, like Édouard.