Former Atlanta United Striker Giorgos Giakoumakis leaves Cruz Azul for Al Ain

Former Atlanta United striker Giorgos Giakoumakis has joined Al Ain on a permanent transfer from Cruz Azul, ending a two-year relationship with the Mexican club after spending his final season on loan in Greece.

The 31-year-old had been on loan at PAOK, but the Greek club declined its option to purchase him permanently.

Al Ain officially presented Giakoumakis on Sunday after reaching an agreement with Cruz Azul.

The move sends Giakoumakis to the United Arab Emirates little more than two years after Atlanta United sold him to Cruz Azul in one of the largest outgoing transfers in club history. The latest sale may also have financial implications for Atlanta United.

A Difficult Move To Cruz Azu

Giakoumakis arrived in Atlanta from Celtic before the 2023 season and immediately became one of the most productive strikers in MLS.

He scored 17 goals during his first regular season, finished one behind Denis Bouanga in the Golden Boot race and was named the 2023 MLS Newcomer of the Year. Across 41 regular-season and playoff appearances for Atlanta, he recorded 24 goals and seven assists.

His second season began with five goals in Atlanta’s opening five matches, including a hat trick against the New England Revolution. A hamstring injury then interrupted his spring. Giakoumakis missed five matches, returned briefly and soon became the subject of interest from Cruz Azul.

Atlanta had opened talks over a new agreement, but the sides had not reached terms. Cruz Azul offered Giakoumakis a new contract and presented Atlanta with an opportunity to sell while his value remained high. Atlanta completed the transfer on June 16, 2024. The clubs officially described the fee as undisclosed, but later reporting from Tom Bogert placed the final agreement at approximately $11 million, with Atlanta retaining a percentage of a future sale. It remains unclear whether Atlanta would receive a percentage of the full value of Cruz Azul’s next transfer or only a percentage of any profit.

Cruz Azul acquired Giakoumakis to become the focal point of its attack. He initially showed signs of carrying his Atlanta form into Liga MX, scoring twice against Tijuana during his opening weeks in Mexico. He finished the 2024 Apertura with six goals. His production then declined.

Injuries began mounting, and Ángel Sepúlveda increasingly became the preferred option at center forward.

Giakoumakis scored three times during the 2025 Clausura and finished his Cruz Azul tenure with nine goals in 40 appearances across all competitions. Cruz Azul won the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, but Giakoumakis made only two appearances in the tournament and did not score. By the summer, the club was ready to move him out.

PAOK then entered negotiations with an offer that also gave Giakoumakis the return to Greece he wanted. He headed to PAOK on a season-long loan with an option to buy him at the end of the agreement.

PAOK Declines Purchase Option

Giakoumakis joined PAOK on August 13, 2025, on loan through June 30, 2026. The agreement included an option to purchase him permanently, which Greek reporting placed at approximately €5 million. It was his first spell in the country since leaving AEK Athens in 2020.

His return did not produce the consistent league performance PAOK needed from its starting striker.

Giakoumakis scored seven goals in the Greek Super League while playing 1,328 minutes. He added three goals in the Greek Cup and five in European competition, bringing his total to 15 across all competitions. The overall return was respectable, but seven league goals did not strengthen the case for a €5 million permanent transfer.

Injuries continued to interrupt his season. Giakoumakis missed time after suffering a bruise in December, then sustained an ankle injury in early March. He returned in April but suffered another muscle injury later that month, limiting his availability during the closing stages of the season.

That left PAOK evaluating a 31-year-old striker with seven league goals, repeated injury absences and a purchase option near €5 million. The club decided the investment was not justified and declined to activate the option.

Giakoumakis Heads To The UAE

Giakoumakis returned to Cruz Azul after PAOK declined its purchase option, but a return to the Mexican club’s squad was never expected.

Cruz Azul had already moved on from the striker before sending him to Greece, and his loan season had not changed that position. The club instead continued searching for a permanent buyer.

The Emirati club Al Ain officially presented Giakoumakis after completing the permanent transfer. The clubs did not disclose the terms, although reports have placed the fee at approximately $6 million, with Cruz Azul retaining 10 percent of a future transfer and potentially receiving additional performance-related payments.

The transfer may also have financial implications for Atlanta, which reportedly retained a sell-on percentage when Giakoumakis joined Cruz Azul. However, the structure of that clause remains undisclosed. It is therefore impossible to determine whether the sale to Al Ain will generate any additional payment.

Closing

The move gives Giakoumakis another permanent destination after two unsettled seasons. His next challenge will be remaining healthy long enough to build a sustained run of matches and rediscover the form that made him one of the most productive strikers in MLS.