Julian Gressel is one of the best utility men in MLS, and the Atlanta United player says he deserves more.
In a report by Doug Roberson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday, Gressel said he's seeking a new deal and has been left frustrated by a lack of progress with his current club, after his agent began talks with the club earlier this year.
Perhaps most stunning of all, the German says if Atlanta aren't prepared to get serious on a better deal, he's open to moving on.
“It’s come to a point where I’ve produced a lot,” he said in the report. “I’ve played well. I should reap the benefits of that. I want to do that. If it’s here, if the club wants to make me a priority here, I would love to be here. If the club decides not to make me a priority here, I would love to go somewhere where I can be a priority.”
Drafted by Atlanta out of Providence College in 2017, Gressel won MLS Rookie of the Year and has played at least 32 regular-season games each of his first three seasons in the league. Notching a career high in goals in 2019 with six in league play, Gressel has been a regular under both Tata Martino and Frank de Boer due to his versatility, capable of playing across the midfield, as a wide defender, and occasionally in a more attacking capacity. Gressel has won the 2018 MLS Cup, 2019 U.S. Open Cup and 2019 Campeones Cup.
Gressel's comments come on the heels of a report that Atlanta are set to trade midfielder Darlington Nagbe to Columbus Crew SC, with local press speculating the club will make more significant moves in the offseason.
