Lennon adjusting to his new team

Brooks Lennon said Thursday that Atlanta United manager Frank de Boer sees him as a wingback on the right or left.

“Bombing up and down, providing support in attack and helping to defend as well,” he said.

Atlanta United acquired Lennon in a trade with Real Salt Lake in December in exchange for $150,000 in General Allocation Money and $150,000 in Targeted Allocation Money.

Lennon said his first three days in training camp have gone well.

“I’m feeling more comfortable in every training session and shown what I can do so far,” he said.

A more natural wingback, Lennon moved to fullback at Real Salt Lake when the manager asked him to after a spate of injuries. In his career in Sandy, Utah, Lennon made 86 appearances, including 63 starts, with three goals and four assists. He played well enough to earn a call-up to a U.S. men’s national team camp. He was wanted again for the ongoing January camp, but Atlanta United declined the invitation.

Lennon said in December he hopes to post career highs in goals (4) and assists (6) if he plays wingback with Atlanta United, which used the formation for most of the second half of the 2019 season.

Lennon said he hasn’t watched film of how Julian Gressel and Franco Escobar played the position last season, but he did watch a lot of Atlanta United’s games live.

Atlanta United is strong at wingback on the right side, but thin on the left. On the right, the team has Escobar and Gressel, who have proved themselves. On the left, the team has 17-year-old George Bello, who didn’t start a league game last season. The team is interested in signing 33-year-old Edgar Castillo, but a deal hasn’t been finalized.

“I think I bring energy, in training I bring a competitive side,” Lennon said. “Trying to keep the intensity in training high and in the games doing everything I can and in MLS so far to help the team win.”

Gressel not talking contract: Gressel gave a preemptive statement about his contract situation before starting his first interview ahead of the 2020 Champions League and MLS seasons Friday.

“Obviously I have kind of a feeling of what you guys want to ask,” he said. “I think I’m in a position where at the moment I don’t want to speak about my current contract situation. I’ve said something a lot in the past and that stands, that’s valid. I have nothing to really add at that moment. That’s the truth.

“Obviously I want a resolution to this as soon as possible, but that’s for my agent and the club to work out. I don’t want this to be hanging over our heads in preseason. I don’t think that’s fair to our club and to our team and especially not fair to our teammates where I don’t want them to get dragged into this. We want to get ready and prepare for a fast approaching and difficult start to the season.

“That’s where I stand and what I think. It’s something I hope you can respect. I’m sorry that there’s not more info at the moment. That’s just it.”

Gressel, who is in the last year of a contract that pays him $130,000, said he would have said what he did even if there appeared to be a pending resolution to the negotiations.

Gressel said he is training with the team instead of holding out because he wants to help his teammates.

“I think we are all here to get ready for the season. That’s me included. It wouldn’t be fair to my teammates to do something other than that.”

Gressel had 15 goals with 35 assists in league games the past three seasons.

Atlanta United President Darren Eales has implied the team may present Gressel with a new contract once the collective bargaining agreement negotiations are complete. The current CBA expires Jan. 31.

Midfielder Mulraney acquired: Jake Mulraney was acquired from Hearts in Scotland on Friday. Financial terms weren’t disclosed.

Mulraney, a 23-year-old midfielder, is expected to add depth on the left side of Atlanta United’s formation as a wingback or midfielder, similar to the role played by Justin Meram last season.

Mulraney, a native of Ireland, came up through Queens Park’s youth system.