Latest news with #ThiagoAlmada
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Almada's first interview as Atlético de Madrid player
Thiago Almada, the Argentinian attacking midfielder, shared his feeling and looking forward to play in front of the supporters after completed his move to Atlético de Madrid from Botafogo.
New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Thiago Almada's Atletico Madrid move sums up the transfer industry in 2025
This week's transfer of Argentinian midfielder Thiago Almada from Brazil's Botafogo to Spanish club Atletico Madrid is a good example of the complexity of the modern global football transfer market. Almada's arrival was announced by Atletico with a short statement on Tuesday evening. The move caught some in Spain by surprise, given the La Liga side had already signed creative midfielder Alex Baena from Villarreal for a reported €50million (£43.3m/$58.2m) and were in the process of completing the arrival of U.S. international midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis for around €30m. But Almada had long been on Atletico's radar. Advertisement Months after the Argentina international first joined Botafogo in July last year from MLS side Atlanta United for an initial $21million (£15.6m at the current rate), the Brazilian club's majority owner John Textor told the Ole Sports Summit that 'a friend' at Atletico had initially recommended he take a look at the player. That tip-off worked out well. In just six months with the Rio de Janeiro-based team, Almada helped win the Brazilian Serie A title and their first ever Copa Libertadores trophy — South America's Champions League equivalent. In January, he joined Lyon of France's Ligue 1 top flight, another club owned by Textor's Eagle Football Group (which is also a shareholder in Crystal Palace of the Premier League, although it is about to sell its 43 per cent stake to Woody Johnson, owner of the NFL's New York Jets — but that's a whole other story), on loan for the rest of the season. Almada scored twice in 20 appearances across all competitions to help them qualify for next season's Europa League (another complicated story also involving Palace). Lyon initially wanted to buy Almada outright, with a €27million purchase price put in place during the winter transfer window, but Ligue 1's DNCG (Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion) management committee would not allow this, due to the club's deep financial issues, so Botafogo needed to find different takers for the 24-year-old. Benfica of Portugal were among the clubs interested but Atletico presented themselves as a solution and, on Thursday, Almada signed a five-year deal with the La Liga heavyweights, while posing for the cameras with their chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin. Exact details of the deal to take him to the Spanish capital were not made public but sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships, say Botafogo will receive around €23million up front, plus add-ons, depending on performances. Atletico are happy to have Almada but signing him means they now have four 'non-EU' players on their books and La Liga rules only allow three such players in your squad, so one of Brazilian winger Samuel Lino, English midfielder Conor Gallagher and Argentine right-back Nahuel Molina will have to leave for the newcomer to be registered with the league. Advertisement Negotiations over Almada were made easier as he shares an agent, Augustin Jimenez, with Angel Correa, who was last week sold to Mexican club Tigres after 11 years with Atletico, and another Argentina international at the club, Rodrigo De Paul. De Paul is also close to leaving to join Inter Miami and link up with his national-team captain Lionel Messi at club level. Atletico are open to the idea: De Paul is 31 years old, has less than 12 months left on his contract, and is also one of the best-paid members of the squad, costing them around €13million a year (including tax) in wages. Miami, however, do not currently have a free 'designated player' spot for De Paul to fill, so it is difficult for them to pay him anything close to his current salary. A potential solution could be to join Miami initially on loan, with Atletico covering some of his wages in the short term, but the La Liga club would prefer a permanent move this summer. Meanwhile, a Los Angeles headquartered firm named Ares Management has a financial interest in all of Atletico, Botafogo, Lyon and Miami. The company has provided €400million in funding to Textor's Eagle group, which includes the Brazilian and French sides, invested €220m in Atletico Holdco, the company which is the Spanish team's majority shareholder and provided $225m to help Miami's establishment and growth in MLS since the club was founded in 2018. Meanwhile, on Wednesday morning, less than eight hours after Atletico's signing of Almada was announced, Spanish business newspaper Expansion reported that another U.S. firm, Apollo Global Management, was in negotiations to invest in the club's ownership structure. Atletico sources confirmed they were talking to many potential investors as they look for funding for an €800million 'Sports City' project on land it owns surrounding their Estadio Metropolitano home ground. The scheme involves building a new training complex for Diego Simeone's first team, public facilities for golf, padel and skating, and what is planned as Europe's biggest inland surfing centre. Advertisement The connections go even further. In a personal capacity, Jim Miller and Mark Affolter, who hold senior positions at Ares, and Inter Miami's president Jorge Mas are part of the ownership group at Spanish second-division side Real Zaragoza. Raul Sanllehi, once of Arsenal, was Zaragoza's CEO from March 2022 until being named Miami's president of football operations last June, and the MLS team's chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero previously ran Atletico's sister clubs in North America: Atletico San Luis of Mexico's Liga MX and Canadian Premier League club Atletico Ottawa. There is absolutely no suggestion that any of the clubs or individuals involved in any of the deals mentioned in connection with Almada's move to Atletico Madrid have done anything wrong, legally or morally. Almada could well turn out to be a very good investment for them — he has four goals in 10 international appearances, was part of Argentina's triumphant 2022 World Cup squad and, having turned 24 in April, is at an age where he should be coming towards the prime years of his career. Yet, all the links detailed in this article illustrate the complexity of the modern football industry, and the many financial and personal ties which bind together different clubs in various leagues across many continents. (Other contributor: Guillermo Rai)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Official: Atlético Madrid announce another new signing
The busy summer transfer window being enjoyed by La Liga giants Atlético Madrid has continued late this week. This comes amid confirmation of a fresh addition to the attacking ranks in Diego Simeone's squad. The player to have taken his talents to the Metropolitano for the seasons to come? Thiago Almada. The name of frontman Almada has of course proven a prominent one in the headlines in Spain's capital across the week to date. This comes, first, after word was forthcoming that Atlético were ready to ramp up efforts to bring the Argentine international in for next season. As much was soon followed by an agreement being announced with Botafogo over the terms of a deal. This left just the formalities to be sorted through, before the Rojiblancos could announce Almada as the newest addition to the club's first-team ranks. And as alluded to above, on Thursday evening, precisely as much was forthcoming. As per a statement across Atléti's website and social media platforms: 'Atlético de Madrid and Botafogo have reached an agreement for the transfer of Thiago Almada, who will sign with our club until June 30, 2030.' Conor Laird – GSFN
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨 Official: Atlético de Madrid sign Thiago Almada
Atlético de Madrid has made official the signing of Thiago Almada. The red and whites have reached an agreement with Botafogo for the transfer of the Argentine international, who signs for five seasons. The team led by Cholo Simeone defines its new player as a "talented and versatile 24-year-old Argentine right-footed player, who can occupy both the attacking midfielder position and the winger position on either side, with either foot" From Vélez to the world Born in Ciudadela (Buenos Aires), he was trained in the lower categories of Vélez Sarsfield and debuted with his first team in 2018 until he played 100 games. After two successful years in Atlanta United, from the MLS, he received the call from the Argentine national team with which he became world champion in Qatar 2022. Since 2024 in Botafogo, in Brazil, he won the Brasileirao and the Copa Libertadores to later make the leap to Olympique de Lyon on loan. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here. 📸 EITAN ABRAMOVICH - AFP or licensors
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Atletico Madrid signs American midfielder Johnny Cardoso to continue boosting its squad
MADRID (AP) — Atletico Madrid continues to boost its squad for next season, signing young American midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Real Betis. The 23-year-old Cardoso arrived on a five-year contract, Atletico said Wednesday. Cardoso was born in the United States but is of Brazilian descent and has an Italian passport, meaning he doesn't occupy a non-European Union slot in Diego Simeone's squad. The holding midfielder played in Brazil until moving to Betis in the 2023-24 season, where he became an important player for Manuel Pellegrini's team. Cardoso made his senior debut for the United States in a match against Wales in 2020. He has 22 caps, winning the CONCACAF Nations League in 2023 and 2024. Cardoso had to withdraw from Mauricio Pochettino's CONCACAF Nations League squad in March due to a muscle injury. Atletico on Tuesday reached an agreement to sign 24-year-old Argentina international Thiago Almada from Brazilian club Botafogo. It previously had boosted its squad by signing midfielder Álex Baena from Villarreal and 22-year-old Italian left back Matteo Ruggeri from Atalanta. Simeone's team finished third in the Spanish league last season, behind Real Madrid and champion Barcelona. It was eliminated in the group stage of the Club World Cup. ___ AP soccer:
