Atlanta United sign Russia's Aleksei Miranchuk as DP

Atlanta United announced the signing of Russian international Aleksei Miranchuk as a designated player on Tuesday.

He arrives from Italian Serie A side Atalanta and is under contract through 2027 with an option for 2028.

Miranchuk, 28, can help Atlanta United replace Thiago Almada , who was recently transferred to Botafogo in Brazil's top league.

"We're excited to sign a player of Alexey's quality at this point in his career from a top league in Europe," Atlanta vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a release.

"He's an attacking player who is an excellent chance creator capable of scoring goals. ... We're pleased to add a player with his experience and winning mentality to our group and we look forward to welcoming him to Atlanta."

Miranchuk has tallied 63 goals and 71 assists in 371 career matches since turning pro with Russia's Lokomotiv Moscow in 2013. He joined Atalanta in 2020 and was on loan with Serie A club Torino from 2022-23.

Internationally, Miranchuk has registered seven goals and seven assists in 45 appearances for Russia, including action at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020 .