Atlanta United sign midfielder Ajani Fortune as homegrown player

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing

Atlanta United have signed Atlanta United 2 midfielder Ajani Fortune to a homegrown player contract to begin at the start of the 2023 season and run through the end of 2024 with multiple option years, the club announced Thursday.

Fortune, 19, joined the Atlanta academy in 2018. He has since played 48 times for ATL UTD 2 in the USL Championship, earning a contract with the USL side in 2021, and was capped once by Trinidad and Tobago in 2021.

“We’re excited to sign Ajani as a Homegrown Player after following his development with our academy and ATL UTD 2,” Atlanta United vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement. “Ajani’s progression to the first team is a credit to him and the excellent work being done by (academy director) Matt Lawrey and our developmental pathway. He’s a talented midfielder who reads the game very well and has a great work rate. We look forward to him taking the next step of his career.”

The 19-year-old was a staple of manager Jack Collison’s setup in ATL UTD 2's midfield, primarily used in a No. 8 role. Fortune has three career USL goals.

“I’m really pleased for Ajani because I’ve seen first-hand how hard he’s worked for this opportunity,” Atlanta United 2 head coach Jack Collison said in a release. “He brings such energy to his role in the midfield and he’s always taken the chances he’s been given to take the next step in his development, going back to his days in the Academy. He’s earned that next step and I’m ecstatic that it’s here with the club.”