https://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2023/7/6/23785593/report-atlanta-united-to-loan-out-franco-ibarra-to-get-roster-compliant
A shocking development.
Ouch, that hurts. Looks like the complex MLS salary/roster rules are biting us in the butt again, this time on U22 spots with Mosquera coming back.
Explains the new signing, plus Ozzie is back. Unfortunately none of the other 3 u22 initiative players are worth anything at the moment. Mosquera sent back, Lopez no value, and Sosa can’t stay healthy, and when he is can’t string together good performances. Sucks to lose Ibarra to roster rules. The U22 initiative is supposed to incentivize teams to take flyers on young players, but they failed to build in a mechanism for when they pan out and a team is stuck with the contract. MLS may do well to add a buyout specifically for U22 initiative players.
As I understand it, we got "caught" using too many u22 players and had to get rid of one. I think all the fans (and Ibarra) assumed it would be Sosa because he's hurt all the time.
Interestingly, Josef Martinez responded "same shit" to Ibarra's IG post about it.
I guess the good news is that it's just a loan, so we could recall Ibarra at the end of the season if Sosa doesn't stay healthy.
Ibarra himself seems pretty unhappy about it: (Paywall) https://theathletic.com/4675306/2023/07/08/franco-ibarra-atlanta-united-toronto/