Atlanta United acquire Venezuela U-20 defender Jose Hernandez

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Signing

Atlanta United announced Wednesday it has acquired Venezuelan U-20 international Jose Hernandez from Venezuelan side Caracas FC. The 20-year-old left back will officially join Atlanta for the 2018 season.

“We identified Jose as one of the young talented defenders in South America and we’re thrilled that he’s committed to continuing his development with our club,” Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a team release. “In addition to his experience in first-team matches at Caracas, he’s played in big matches internationally, including this year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup final against England. He’s an aggressive 1v1 defender and has the ability to get involved in the attack.”

Hernandez has spent his entire professional career at Caracas FC. He has the ability to play left back or in a more advanced role at wing back, and has made 25 career appearances in Venezuela’s first division, including 14 starts during Venezuela’s 2017 season as Caracas FC reached the final of the Torneo Apertura.

Internationally, Hernandez has represented Venezuela at the U-17 and U-20 levels. He made four starts and five total appearances at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup in South Korea, helping guide Venezuela’s U-20 team to its first-ever World Cup final.