Alan Franco joins Atlanta United - Most expensive center-back in club history

Atlanta United have signed center-back Alan Franco to a five-year Designated Player contract. The 24-year-old Argentine center-back arrives from Independiente and, with a fee of $2.8 million, becomes the club's most expensive center-back in history. Despite earlier reports from Argentina that indicated otherwise, the Five Stripes will receive 100% of the player's rights. 

With Franco signed to a DP contract, Atlanta United have bought down Marcelino Moreno to a Targeted Allocation Money deal. Franco has already been training with the club and could feature in the Concacaf Champions League return leg against Costa Rican side LD Alajuelense (Atlanta lead 1-0 after the first leg). 

"Alan is a competitive and aggressive center back who is comfortable with the ball at his feet," Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a club statement. "He has established himself with more than 80 matches in Argentina's top flight, in addition to experience in Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores."