DARLINGTON NAGBE TRADED TO COLUMBUS

He arrived in Atlanta on a private plane, set up by his new team’s owner. He left after helping that team win three major trophies.

Atlanta United announced Wednesday that it has traded Darlington Nagbe to the Columbus Crew for $1.05 million in Allocation Money. That total is exactly what the club paid to acquire him from Portland in 2017. With incentives, the deal with the Crew could reach $1.425 mil- lion. Atlanta United also will receive an International roster spot for the 2020 season.

“Thank you for supporting the team, myself, my

Darlington Nagbe started 55 MLS matches for Atlanta United.

family and for creating a great atmosphere every sin- gle home game,” Nagbe said. Nagbe, 29, gets to return to the state where he grew up in the Cleveland area, and to where some members of his family, including his mother and his in-laws, reside.

“Darlington was a vital part of our success over the last two seasons, and we want to thank him for his service to the club and wish him the best of luck,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocane- gra said in a statement.

After he was drafted by Portland in 2011, Nagbe helped the club win the MLS Cup in 2015. He was acquired by Atlanta United in Decem- ber 2017. Team owner Arthur Blank’s jet picked him up to fly him to Atlanta. A few hours after the jet landed, Nagbe was greeted by more than 350 people for his signing at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. All that appreciation, and Nagbe had yet to play. “I’m thankful and blessed,” Nagbe said after the session.

Nagbe started 55 league games for Atlanta, helping the team win the MLS Cup in 2018 and the Campeones Cup and U.S. Open Cup in 2019. His contributions weren’t in goals or assists (he had two and seven, respectively). His value was in how he could turn defense into offense with a slight shoulder turn or hip swivel to create whatever space needed to get away from one defender and get upfield. Or how he could read an opponent’s counter- attack and get to the right spot just in time to either slow it to give his teammates time to get back, or break up the attack by himself.

He seemed to have an understanding with whom- ever was closest to him on the field: Jeff Larentowicz, Eric Remedi, Michael Parkhurst,

Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Miguel Almiron, Ezequiel Barco and Pity Martinez. Larentowicz said there were many times as players walked off the field they would say, “Thank God we had Darlington.”

Nagbe’s time in Atlanta wasn’t all roses. He didn’t fully participate in preseason training in Fullerton, Calif., this past season. He arrived a day late, didn’t train with the first team, and left a few days early. United President Darren Eales and Bocanegra flew to California to speak to Nagbe. Details of that conver- sation weren’t revealed, but some outlets reported that Nagbe asked to be traded. A person close to the situation last week said that wasn’t true. The person said only that United was asked to consider offers from either team in Ohio if one was received. Atlanta United tried to keep Nagbe, offering him a new multiyear contract during the season. Nagbe declined the offer, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Replacing Nagbe will be difficult because there aren’t many players in MLS with a similar skill set and ability to play offense and defense. Emerson Hyndman comes closest on the roster, but the club hasn’t announced if it has purchased him from Bournemouth. Hyndman played in 2019 while on loan from the club.