Transferring Almada Back to South America
Atlético Madrid has reached an agreement with Argentine side River Plate for the transfer of midfielder Thiago Almada, who will return to South America after spending just one year in Madrid. Yahoo Sports reports that Almada will move back to Buenos Aires, reuniting him with former Atlético forward Ángel Correa.
Almada began his 2025/26 season as a starter under Diego Simeone but suffered a muscle injury in September, which kept him out for five weeks. Despite this setback, he managed to provide an assist for Julián Alvarez's equaliser and scored the penalty in the Copa del Rey final shootout.
River Plate has been pursuing Almada for months, while Flamengo was also reportedly interested. The transfer will see Atlético receive €10 million from their 50% share of his rights, with Lyon receiving the other €10 million. Atlético have retained a €40 million buy-back clause until December 2027.
Clearing Space for Romero
Almada's transfer, along with Nahuel Molina's proposed move to Roma and Matteo Ruggeri's potential transfer to Aston Villa, could free up around €14 million in gross salary from Atlético's wage bill. The club is now eyeing the signing of Cristian Romero from Tottenham Hotspur, a player identified as Simeone's top defensive target.
Atlético are seeking to strengthen their back line, which conceded 81 goals across four competitions last season. According to Marca, Atlético has submitted an initial €30 million offer for Romero and is prepared to go up to €40 million. Other reports suggest the club is preparing a €30 million bid, while Tottenham was reported to have accepted a €40 million offer from Inter Milan.
Romero's preference for moving to Spain could make Atlético's pursuit more likely, but the deal will depend on his salary being accommodated by the financial space created by Almada and Molina's transfers.
