Atlético Madrid eye Lyon's Thiago Almada amid Botafogo return snub
Olympique Lyonnais are expecting a busy summer of departures, particularly owing to the uncertainty around the club's future in front of French football's financial watchdog, the DNCG. With the threat of relegation to Ligue 2 looming in the worst case scenario, it is also likely that the club will be also hit with a transfer ban.
It puts the future of some of OL's key talents up in the air. This rings true for Argentinian playmaker Thiago Almada (24). The World Cup winner joined OL on a free loan from Botafogo in January, but it now looks unlikely that he will remain in France beyond the summer.
According to L'Équipe, John Textor had planned for Almada to return briefly to Botafogo in order to feature in the FIFA Club World Cup, with the Brazilian side set to take part in the 2025 edition. But the player is reportedly strongly opposed to the idea. Almada wants to stay in Europe, where he has begun to regain rhythm and visibility after his MLS departure.
With Lyon currently under a transfer ban, the club are unable to negotiate a permanent deal – not that there was any purchase option included in the initial agreement with Botafogo. And that could leave the door wide open for Atlético Madrid, who remain long-time admirers of the player and are exploring creative midfield options for the post-Koke era.
GFFN | Freddie Aston
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