Thiago Almada Openly Announces Atletico Madrid Interest Amid Imminent Exit From Atlanta United in MLS

Thiago Almada has recently become the subject of transfer speculation. The Argentinian youngster has been looming with an exit from his current MLS side, Atlanta United. While the current winter market makes him a fresh prospect for several teams, the player has unexpectedly expressed his desire to play for Atletico Madrid. This shocking revelation came during a rapid-fire round segment called ‘Ping Pong’ with Diaro Ole.

While getting bombarded with a few off-pitch questions, Thiago Almada was interestingly asked to name his favorite club that he would like to play for. Without giving any extra thought, the attacking midfielder took the name of Diego Simeone and Co.’s paradise. Already, the youngster is eyeing an MLS exit; his vocal admission fuels his rumors even further! Likewise, even Los Rojiblancos reportedly want the 22-year-old as a replacement for Angel Correa, who might move to Roshn Saudi League.

Al Ittihad is keen on signing Correa, hence forcing Atletico Madrid to sign Thiago Almada. He rose through the ranks of Argentina’s Vélez Sarsfield and joined Atlanta United in 2022. He has a contract running until December 31, 2025, which means he definitely won’t be leaving the MLS side on a free transfer.

Atletico would be required to negotiate a certain fee for the 2023 MLS Young POTY, which is valued at around €27 million or $30 million. The talented midfielder notched 13 goals and 16 assists in 35 games last season. Either way, he has subtly yet publicly sent his message to Atletico. It remains to be seen if the La Liga side will carry forward the deal. While Thiago Almada’s exit is a huge blow for Atlanta, his teammate gave a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes!

Atlanta hunts replacements as they prepare to let Thiago Almada ‘respectfully’ leave

According to Thiago Almada’s teammate, Giorgos Giakoumakis, Atlanta could already have a plan B if he decides to leave. The forward claimed that he is quite optimistic that the MLS side will not let such a player go easily, insisting that they will certainly demand a ‘respectful amount of money‘.

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“If they are close to signing Thiago, I think possibly Atlanta will have a plan B to prepare the team for the season,” Giakoumakis concluded. For now, there haven’t been concrete reports regarding the potential replacements of Thiago Almada. Nevertheless, let’s see if the World Cup winner can fulfill his dream of playing at Atletico Madrid. Let us know your predictions in the comments below.

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