Report: Gabriel Heinze will be Atlanta United’s next manager

It looks as if Atlanta United has landed its man.

Cesar Luis Merlo now reports the deal is done and Heinze will sign a two-year contract with the club next week.

Merlo is about as spot on as anyone in the South American football community—he broke Pity Martinez’s move to Al-Nassr a few months ago—so while there’s nothing finalized as of yet, Merlo’s track record suggests a deal is close to being finalized.

Heinze was most recently with Velez Sarsfield, a club he departed on his own accord after 3 seasons. Before that, the 42-year-old managed Godoy Cruz and Argentinos Juniors. He had a nearly 20-year playing career, most notably with Newell’s Old Boys, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Real Madrid, among others, while winning 72 caps with the Argentine men’s national team.

It would be a return to form for Atlanta United as they will look to turn to another Marcelo Bielsa disciple after the failed Frank de Boer tenure. Bielsa’s fingerprints were all over the tactical approach of Tata Martino, with Atlanta immediately becoming known for a high-flying, heavily attacking style right out of the gate.

We’ll have more details as they become available.