Atlanta United signs Elías Báez

Atlanta United has signed Elías Báez from San Lorenzo on a U-22 Initiative contract, adding a 21-year-old left back who is mainly defensively minded. The transfer fee has been reported as approximately $3 million, reflecting both his age and his established role at the Argentine first division.

Báez arrives with more than 50 first-team appearances across league and continental competition for San Lorenzo. During the 2025 Apertura and Clausura seasons, he started every league match.

The signing continues Atlanta’s rebuild of its back line ahead of the season. The club has added a defender with experience in multiple defensive formations. Previously under Tata, Atlanta’s most effective teams paired aggressive attacking players with defenders tasked with absorbing pressure and restoring shape behind the ball. This is how Báez fits in. His signing reinforces a shift toward defensive clarity as the platform for the rest of the roster.

Defensive Minded

While modern fullbacks are often judged by their crossing numbers, Báez is a throwback to a style of play that prioritizes defensive grit - what many in South American circles call grinta. It is a combination of tenacity and high-intensity work rate that Martino has historically valued in transitional leagues like MLS.

In 2025, playing for a San Lorenzo side that demands defensive discipline, his stats per 90 revealed a player who thrives in the high-stakes defensive moments:

• Aerial Dominance: Despite standing just 5’9”, he won 1.7 aerial duels per 90 (84th percentile). His timing and physical aggression allow him to play much larger than his height suggests.
• The Safety Valve: He averaged 3.94 clearances per 90, acting as a pressure-release valve for a backline under duress.
• Progressive Risk: While his overall pass completion rate is 63.8%, this is largely due to his role as a progressive passer. He ranks in the 72nd percentile for moving the ball forward, suggesting he takes risks to spark transitions rather than playing safe lateral passes. He is looking to spring the counter-attack—the exact “verticality” Tata built his 2018 championship on.

Báez’s strongest metrics are in interceptions and clearances. He is a proactive defender who reads the game well to stop attacks before they enter the box.

Atlanta United

The arrival of Báez and Tomás Jacob (the club’s other recent U-22 defensive signing) creates a new set of bookends for Atlanta. This move signals a departure from a “cross-and-pray” strategy towards a more mobile, high-recovery defensive unit. By prioritizing defenders who excel at recovery speed and winning the ball in the middle third, Atlanta can more effectively release the DP playmakers like Alexey Miranchuk and a motivated Miguel Almirón.

While Pedro Amador has provided veteran experience on the left, the signing of a $3 million U-22 prospect in his position could suggest a significant move toward youth and high-ceiling potential.

Báez also brings a level of discipline that is not expected at his age. He received 5 yellow cards and no reds during the 2025 season, with a moderate foul rate. He typically utilizes tactical fouls to break up play in the middle third rather than drawing cards in dangerous areas.

It has the benefit of reducing emergency defending when in transition. Greater control on the left side may allow Atlanta to hold a higher defensive line and commit more midfielders forward.

The Bottom Line

Báez is not a finished product, and Atlanta is not asking him to be yet. The club is targeting defensive stability on the left side, with a player trusted to hold position and manage space during sustained defensive phases. He holds his line. He steps into duels decisively. He delays play when the defensive shape requires it.

Báez fits a clearly defined player profile. He is young, tactically grounded, physically resilient, and signed with a specific defensive role already established within the squad.

Atlanta’s next phase will be built on organization and control. That process begins with defenders who limit space, manage transitions, and make the team harder to play against.

This one starts from the back.