Julian Gressel and Atlanta United remain at an impasse regarding a new contract, with talks at a relative standstill as the final year of Gressel’s rookie deal approaches.



The negotiations have implications that extend beyond the club level for the German midfielder. A possible international future with the U.S. men’s national team hangs in the balance, too.



Gressel, who was born in Germany and lived there until he came to the U.S. to play at Providence College in 2013, told The Athletic in an exclusive interview that he hopes to one day play for the USMNT.



He’s already on the path to U.S. citizenship. Last winter, the 25-year-old married an American woman, his college sweetheart, and received a green card in May, putting him on track to apply for naturalization in May 2022. That should leave plenty of time for his paperwork to be filed and approved before the 2022 World Cup, which will begin in November instead of the summer to...