Official: USMNT defender George Bello joins Arminia Bielefeld
The 20-year-old defender will not play with Atlanta United during the 2022 MLS regular season because he has joined the Bundesliga side.
After weeks of negotiations Atlanta United and Arminia Bielefeld came to terms for the signing of 20-year-old defender George Bello. The Major League Soccer side will receive €600,000, but they included add-ons that could make the deal worth up to €1.3 million. Atlanta United will receive a fee if the Bundesliga side transfers Bello to another club before his contract expires in June 2026.
Statement from Atlanta United
“Each player has a different path in their development, but George is a shining example of one of those pathways that our club can offer,” vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a statement.
“He joined our original Academy program in 2016 and soon signed as a homegrown player at just 15 years old. He then made his mark at USL level, went on to debut with our first team and ultimately played his way onto the US men’s national team. For George, his desire was to move to Europe for an opportunity to continue his development and we wish him continued success with Bielefeld.”
George Bello became the third United States player that joined a Bundesliga club during the January transfer window. The first one was former FC Dallas stiker Ricardo Pepi, who joined Augsburg, and the second one was Kevin Paredes, who left DC United to join VfL Wolfsburg in a club-record transfer fee.