Apparently, international interest in Atlanta United players isn’t limited to the team’s attackers. Just as the January transfer window was coming to a close, reports surfaced of Boca Juniors’ interest in one of the Five Stripes’ backline rocks: Leandro González Pírez.



It flew slightly under the radar thanks to Miguel Almirón’s massive sale to Newcastle United, but the fact that a big club like Boca Juniors would even consider González Pírez, a former River Plate product, is significant for reasons that go beyond transfer fees and historic rivalries. That type of interest confirms that in González Pírez, Atlanta United have a a player that they’ll have to protect or commit to long-term if they hope to keep him.



Shown the door by River Plate manager Marcelo Gallardo in 2015, González Pírez, is now a league champion and arguably one of the top defenders in MLS despite...