Following a calm summer spent cutting down dead wood, the Rojiblancos have shocked the football world by adding a number of intriguing players.
Artem Dovbyk of Girona was the target of Atletico Madrid’s failed transfer attempt a few weeks ago; as a result, the Ukrainian player joined Roma. Oleksiy Lundovsky, the player’s agent, told Ukrfootball on July 26 that while “Atletico is a great club,” “we didn’t see a serious project for Artem there.”
And neither did the supporters. The supporters of Atleti were promised a revolution at the Metropolitano, an exciting change of Diego Simeone’s squad that would turn the team into a contender for the Spanish title, after a disappointing 2023–24 campaign that promised a lot but delivered little.
And yet Atleti still hadn’t signed a single player as the end of July drew near. But after an incredible spending binge that lasted for two weeks, the Rojiblancos are suddenly looking like the big winners of the summer transfer season.
In addition to England international Conor Gallagher and World Cup winner Julian Alvarez, who have already joined from Real Sociedad and Villarreal, respectively, are Robin Le Normand and Alexander Sorloth.
How, then, has Atletico accomplished this? Does Simeone’s team now pose a real danger to Real Madrid’s chances of winning the championship?
Atletico’s Champions League elimination from last season was a huge blow, as it essentially terminated their season. Even worse, after facing Borussia Dortmund in the round of eight, a semi-final spot had been up for grabs.
Simeone had warned about the threat posed by the German team on several occasions, and BVB had clearly shown their worth by emerging victorious from the tournament’s “Group of Death.” Though they had defeated 2023 runners-up Inter in the round of 16, and had produced more than enough opportunities to have ended the Dortmund tie in the first leg at the Metropolitano, Atleti was correctly positioned as the favorites to advance.
On an otherwise dismal night in Dortmund, there was one bright spot. The same evening, Barcelona was eliminated from the Champions League, which put an end to the Catalans’ chances of beating Atletico to a spot in the lucrative FIFA Club World Cup the following year. The Rojiblancos would have made at least €50 million (£43 million/$55 million) just by playing.
A more direct financial boost came last month when the club’s owners issued new shares for €70 million (£60 million/$76 million). In the past several weeks, Atletico has also been rather successful in getting rid of some of the dead wood at the Metropolitano.
Exciting signings
Additionally, the funds obtained from the sale of Morata and others have been well used. With the opportunity to finally lead the line for a top European team on a regular basis, Alvarez is expected to have an explosive season at the Metropolitano, while Sorloth is coming off a strong season at El Madrigal that produced 23 goals. Although the cost is exorbitant, this is one of those exceptional opportunities where everyone may benefit greatly.
Regarding Gallagher, Simeone’s Atletico seems to have the ideal midfield player in him, even though he may not have been the solution to England’s midfield problems in Germany this summer. The Chelsea Academy alum is indispensably diligent, an urgent