Ex-Barcelona Manager ‘Finalizing’ Deal to Bring Young Talent to MLS

Gerardo Martino is reportedly poised to raid his former club.

Adrián Gill could be on his way to MLS. | Jan Kruger-UEFA/Getty Images

Gerardo Martino’s Atlanta United are reportedly in the final stages of securing a deal for Barcelona academy product Adrián Gill.

The 20-year-old U.S. youth international spent seven years in Barcelona’s famed La Masia setup. Injuries have stuttered his development in recent seasons, denying him any significant involvement in the UEFA Youth League title which his teammates won last season.

In a bid to secure more minutes, Gill returned to his first club in Spain, Cornellà, over the summer on a season-long loan. The Catalan outfit currently top the Spanish fifth tier after getting relegated last term and play in front of just 1,500 fans. The jump to Major League Soccer (MLS) would be huge.

Yet, that is what Atlanta United are planning, as first revealed by Mundo Deportivo.

The side which finished second-bottom of the Eastern Conference last year turned once again to the Argentine tactician “Tata” Martino. The 2018 MLS Cup winner with Atlanta also won the Leagues Cup with Inter Miami after spending a solitary season as Barcelona boss in the 2013–14 campaign.

In their quest to improve upon last season’s rank disappointment, Atlanta have undergone an extensive roster overhaul, shipping out eight senior professionals while also bringing in six new faces. Quite what role Gill would play in the first-team set-up remains to be seen, although the club are in the process of “finalizing” an agreement, per The Athletic’s Tom Bogert.

Adrián Gill has represented the U.S. national team at U17 level. | USSF/ISI Photos/Getty Images

Gill’s family relocated from Denver to Spain a decade ago and he was once billed as one of the United States’ future hopes. Prematurely compared to Andrés Iniesta, the midfielder described his own style as “well rounded.”

“I am comfortable receiving the ball anywhere on the pitch,” he told Transfermarkt in the past. “I like to create goal-scoring opportunities for the team and pride myself in my defensive work rate and leadership ability.”

Back in 2022, Gill had lofty goals. “My ambition is to break into the first team at Barça and play for the United States at the 2026 World Cup,” he declared. It appears highly unlikely that the Atlanta-bound Under-17 international will achieve either target this year.

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Barcelona’s Sale of La Masia Graduates

Dro could be living his final hours as a Barcelona player. | Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Gill’s impending exit is nowhere near the most high profile academy departure Barcelona are braced to suffer this month. Dro Fernández’s expected switch to Paris Saint-Germain has been the cause of plenty of consternation from senior boss Hansi Flick.

Unlike Gill, Dro had already made his senior debut after impressing on last summer’s preseason tour. Yet, reportedly unsatisfied with a lack of regular opportunities, the 18-year-old is set to join the reigning European champions.

Flick was unimpressed. “My message is about daily training,” the German boss seethed when talking about the minutes afforded to the club’s steady stream of young talents.

“When players arrive with potential, we have a plan to monitor their training, performance, and attitude, to see if they’re professional ... We’re a big team, and it’s not easy to get playing time. That’s clear. But every training session makes these players better. This is the normal process, and when they deserve to play, then of course they play.

“My idea is for everyone to stay.”

In a way, Barcelona are victims of their own academy’s success. Forced to rely upon the youngsters during the current financial crisis at the club, the likes of Fermín López, Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal have become such established members of the senior squad that their fellow academy hopefuls have little opportunity to make their own breakthrough.

Marc Guiu opted to join Chelsea last summer when faced with this fierce competition for places while Dro may not be the last to follow that same path.

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