Saba Time Ends In Atlanta

Atlanta United has traded Saba Lobjanidze and its third-round pick in the 2028 MLS SuperDraft to Real Salt Lake, ending the Georgian winger’s three-season run with the club.

Atlanta receives $625,000 in guaranteed 2026 General Allocation Money and could receive another $100,000 in 2027 GAM if Lobjanidze re-signs with Real Salt Lake. Tom Bogert has also reported that Atlanta is retaining part of Lobjanidze’s budget charge as part of the deal.

Lobjanidze arrived in Atlanta in August 2023 from Turkish club Hatayspor. He signed as a Designated Player through the 2026 season and gave Atlanta an immediate return. He scored in his MLS debut against Nashville SC, then finished the 2023 regular season with three goals and four assists in nine appearances.

His best Atlanta season came in 2024. Lobjanidze scored 10 MLS goals, including nine in the regular season, and added seven assists. He also represented Georgia at Euro 2024, the country’s first major international tournament. He gave Atlanta a direct wide option who could run behind defenders, attack the back post and create chances in transition.

That version of Lobjanidze was useful for a team that spent much of the season searching for reliable attacking production. Atlanta changed shape, changed personnel and changed the way it tried to create chances, but Lobjanidze remained one of the few players who could create danger from wide areas.

The production dropped after 2024 as he was moved to the left side to accommodate the return of Miguel Almirón to Atlanta. Lobjanidze had one goal and eight assists in all competitions in 2025, with the goal coming in Leagues Cup and seven of the assists coming in MLS play. Atlanta’s attack also changed around him. Emmanuel Latte Lath, Miguel Almirón and Alexey Miranchuk took on larger roles in the front line, and Lobjanidze’s place in the group was no longer as fixed as it had been during his most productive stretch with the club.

The move sends him to Real Salt Lake and gives Atlanta another piece of allocation money to work with during the summer. Atlanta is still retaining part of his budget charge, but the trade moves a veteran winger off the roster and gives the club more flexibility.

For Lobjanidze, the move gives him a fresh start after his role and production declined in Atlanta. Real Salt Lake gives him a new place to try to find that form again.

For Atlanta, the move continues a larger roster reset. Matías Galarza and Juan Berrocal have already left after their loan agreements expired. Lobjanidze now joins the list of players moving out. Atlanta gets allocation money in return and removes another senior player from a roster still looking for flexibility.