Transfer Tracker

Atlanta United loan defender Fernando Meza to Argentina's Defensa y Justicia

Fernando Meza - Atlanta United - pass upfield

TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Loan


Atlanta United have loaned center back Fernando Meza to Defensa y Justicia of the Argentine Primera Division, the club announced Thursday.


Meza is the second outgoing loan from Atlantaā€™s defense in 2020, with right back Franco Escobar previously joining Argentine Primera Division side Newellā€™s Old Boys for the 2021 season.


ā€œWe appreciate Fernandoā€™s commitment to the club over the last year and wish him well during his loan stint,ā€ Atlanta United vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a release.


Meza joined Atlanta ahead of the 2020 season as part of a move that saw now-Inter Miami CF center back Leandro Gonzalez Pirez head to Liga MX side Club Tijuana. The 30-year-old Argentine then started 13 games in 2020 as the Five Stripes missed out on the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time.


Before heading to Atlanta, Meza played for clubs including Necaxa (Liga MX), Colo-Colo (Chilean Primera Division) and San Lorenzo (Argentine Primera Division). But now heā€™s approaching a new challenge ā€“ Defensa are scheduled to compete in the 2021 Copa Libertadores ā€“ and wonā€™t feature for the foreseeable future under new Five Stripes head coach Gabriel Heinze.