Atlético Madrid have reached an agreement with Argentine club River Plate for the transfer of midfielder Thiago Almada in a deal worth €20 million, according to Yahoo Sports. Almada will return to South America one year after joining Atlético from Brazilian club Botafogo, in what amounts to a brief and interrupted spell in the Spanish capital.
Almada began the 2025-26 season as a starter under manager Diego Simeone but a muscle injury in September cost him five weeks and disrupted his integration into the squad. He struggled for consistent playing time after returning, though he did contribute an assist for Julián Alvarez's equalizer and converted his penalty in the Copa del Rey final shootout.
River Plate had been pursuing Almada for months, with Flamengo also reported to have shown interest. The move to Buenos Aires will reunite him with former Atlético forward Ángel Correa. River are paying €20 million for 100 percent of Almada's federative rights. Atlético will receive €10 million for their 50 percent share, while Lyon collects the other €10 million. Almada is expected to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with River Plate. Atlético have retained a €40 million buy-back clause valid until December 2027.
The Almada sale is part of a broader effort to clear wages at Atlético. Combined with Nahuel Molina's proposed move to Roma and Matteo Ruggeri's proposed transfer to Aston Villa, the outgoing business could free around €14 million in gross salary from the club's wage bill. Almada and Molina's moves were awaiting official confirmation at the time of reporting, while Ruggeri's transfer still required the player's approval.
The cleared wage space is directly tied to Atlético's pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero, identified by Simeone as his top defensive target. Atlético are seeking to reinforce a back line that conceded 81 goals across four competitions in the 2025-26 season.
According to Marca, Atlético have already submitted a first offer of €30 million to Tottenham and are prepared to go as high as €40 million. Other reporting described the club as preparing a €30 million bid. Tottenham, meanwhile, were separately reported to have accepted a €40 million offer from Inter Milan for Romero, who has been reported to favor a move to Spain. Inter remain in the race for his signature, making the situation competitive heading into the final weeks of the transfer window.
Atlético's ability to meet Romero's salary demands depends on completing the outgoing transfers currently in motion.
