Bocanegra said trading Gressel was something the club began preparing for 12 months ago, which coincides with the first contract offer the club made to Gressel, and they that were prepared for a trade six months ago. Bocanegra said another offer was made to Gressel during the summer. During the winter, the two sides talked, but they couldn’t reach an agreement. Bocanegra declined to go into Atlanta United’s valuation process or why they didn’t think Gressel was worth what D.C. United is going to pay him.

Bocanegra expressed confidence that the team will be able to replace Gressel’s production, saying the club is confident in its roster and has a plan going forward. The team added Brooks Lennon, who can play right fullback or wingback, in a trade with Real Salt Lake in December 2019.

Bocanegra said, and this is something that Gressel also said exclusively to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that MLS rules and it being a salary-cap league hinder a club’s ability to give a player who is outperforming his contract a raise.

“Guys that have come in and are doing well and have earned a bigger contract aren’t getting that bigger contract because of the restrictions,” Gressel said. “Hopefully it will be addressed in new CBA (collective bargaining agreement). Hopefully the league can move to where those guys can get rewarded. I think I deserved it. I can’t be mad at that. That’s just how it is here.”

Gressel said he has no ill-will toward the front office or the club and thanked the supporters for the past three years.

“Atlanta has been great,” Gressel said. “There will never be a bad memory.”