Thiago Almada Signs for Atlético Madrid After Making Loyalty Clear

Atlético Madrid have signed Thiago Almada. The Argentine attacking midfielder says he only wanted to join Atlético despite interest from other teams. A report confirmed that Thiago Almada has agreed to personal terms with Atlético Madrid.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Thiago Almada is now an Atlético Madrid player, having signed a five-year contract with the club. The Spanish outfit reached an agreement over a fee with Botafogo to land their man, and the attacking midfielder has moved to Europe for the second time after having spent last season at Lyon in the Ligue 1. Atlético Madrid is said to be in advanced talks to sign him for a fee potentially between €15 million and €20 million, according to a previous update.

Almada is also confident the move is a good one for him, having insisted he wanted to play for Atlético, particularly due to the presence of boss Diego Simeone. He is eager to play for Simeone at Atlético Madrid.

WHAT ALMADA SAID

“I wanted to come to Spain, to Atlético and to Simeone,” he said after being unveiled. “I am very happy. I had a great time in Brazil. I am very grateful to my team-mates, the fans, to Ramon Diaz who gave me his confidence and now to Simeone.”

When asked why he had chosen Atlético, Almada added: “Spain is different from the rest of Europe, the passion of the fans is similar to that of Argentina. All those details were important for me to come to Atlético.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The team faces a rebuild as players like Koke near the later years of their careers, and the team tries to become more competitive than recent seasons. In the past season, Atletico finished 3rd, behind Real Madrid and eventual champions Barcelona, and more importantly, failed to be a real threat at winning any silverware in Spanish or continental football.

Almada is certain to feature heavily for years to come, as his contract runs until the end of the 2031-32 season, when he will be 32. After his impressive loan spell at Lyon, where he contributed two goals and five assists, Almada is expected to bring his talent to Atlético.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR ATLÉTICO?

Almada will be aiming to open his account at the first time of asking when Atlético return to action with a game against Espanyol in La Liga after the summer transfer window and for matchday 1 of the La Liga campaign, as Diego Simeone’s side aim to play themselves back into the top two having been knocked off the pace in the first few weeks of the season.