According to GE News, winger Luiz Araujo from Atlanta is bound to return to the Brazilian league to join heavyweight Flamengo during the Summer transfer window.
MLS transfer market opens only in July, but Flamengo has already made progress in signing the right-winger. Luiz Araújo is 26 years old and was revealed by São Paulo.
READ IN PORTUGUESE: Alvo do Flamengo, Luiz Araújo não deslanchou no Atlanta United
READ MORE: “I want to keep my focus here in MLS”; Luiz Araújo talks about his time with Atlanta United
These negotiations should not surprise any Atlanta United follower since it wasn’t long before his name was linked to another heavyweight in Brazil, Palmeiras. Still, the negotiations seem to have led to nowhere.
The expectation is that this time, negotiations will finish in the coming days, and the player will arrive at Flamengo at the opening of the next window, on July 3rd, in a contract that should span for four years at the Brazilian Red and Black.
Luiz Araújo with this beauty 😤 pic.twitter.com/qo5oR1vhul
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) May 18, 2023
Luiz Araujo’s retrospect at Atlanta United
In his first season in MLS, Luiz scored four goals and three assists in 14 games as a starter (16 played).
Costing US$12 million at the time, Luiz Araújo arrived at Atlanta United surrounded by expectations, as he had been part of Lille, who were French champions in 2020-21.
Despite the high values, the Brazilian’s performance in the league was below expectations, despite the bad seasons that Atlanta has been having due to many problems, mainly injuries.
In 2022 the striker suffered a muscle injury that left him out for forty-four days, but he still finished with two more assists than in 2021 (5 total in 2022).
Acting primarily on the right wing, Luiz Araújo, who is left-handed, can also play wide on the left side of the field and has even been used as a false nine at Atlanta United.
In the current season, Luiz Araújo has three goals and an assist in 13 games.
