Carlos Carmona has left Atlanta United, with the club selling the midfielder to Chilean side Colo-Colo, the MLS outfit announced on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old signed with the MLS side last February and made 30 league starts for the expansion team in 2017.
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Carmona, best known for his time spent in Serie A with Atalanta, returns to his native country having made more than 150 appearances in the Italian top flight.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the move last week and the midfielder sent an emotional farewell to Atlanta on Monday via social media.
Atlanta formally announced the move on Tuesday, saying the club had sold Carmona in exchange for an undisclosed fee.
“Carlos was a valuable member of the team, but sometimes life becomes more important than soccer and we have decided to do what’s best for the player and his family,” club vice president and technical director Carlos Bocanegra said in a team statement.
“Although, it was never the plan to move him on, we were able to reach an agreement and made the best out of a difficult situation.”
Atlanta finished fourth in the Eastern Conference in the club's first season in MLS, with manager Gerardo "Tata" Martino relying heavily on an influx of South American talent, including Carmona who took up a vital role at the base of the club's midfield.
Thank you for everything, Carlos#ATLUTD finalizes transfer of Carlos Carmona to Colo-Colo: https://t.co/ddorom8EDn pic.twitter.com/PyOzYN2ZPR
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) January 31, 2018
While the loss of Carmona is a blow to the second-year franchise, the club made waves earlier in the month by landing 18-year-old Ezequiel Barco from Argentina's Independiente as a young designated player, with ESPN reporting that the MLS side paid $15 million for his services.
Atlanta also announced a signing Tuesday night, with free agent right-back Sal Zizzo inking a contract with the club.
Zizzo spent the last three seasons with the New York Red Bulls and has made over 150 appearances in MLS since joining the league from Germany in 2010.
