Atlanta United signs free-agent midfielder Derrick Etienne

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta United has signed free-agent midfielder Derrick Etienne, who scored a career-best nine goals for the Columbus Crew this past season. The three-year deal includes options for 2026 and ’27. Etienne has spent his entire professional career in Major League Soccer, the last three seasons with Columbus. The 26-year-old made his debut late in the 2016 campaign with the New York Red Bulls. Atlanta technical director Carlos Bocanegra says Etienne is the first step toward rebuilding a championship-contending squad. United missed the playoffs this year with an 11th-place finish in the Eastern Conference.