How Atletico Madrid Missed Out On Prime Midfield Target

Written by Olaleye Oluwadamilola

Atletico Madrid had a productive summer transfer window, but they were unable to secure all their targets. After signing Conor Gallagher from Chelsea, Diego Simeone sought another midfielder, but ultimately, no one joined.

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In the final days of the window, Atletico considered free agent Adrien Rabiot and N’Golo Kante. According to Marca, Al-Ittihad’s high asking price for Kante prevented a deal.

Initially, Al-Ittihad demanded €20 million for Kante. Towards the end of the transfer window, they reduced the price to €15 million, but it was still too expensive for Atletico.

Atletico Madrid could still go for Rabiot, considering that he is a free agent following the expiry of his Juventus contract. However, the likelihood is that he would be required to significant reduce his wage demands in order for an agreement to be reached.

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Not only was their offer rejected for Kante, Atletico Madrid who pursued several defensive options including Cristhian Mosquera despite the arrival of Le Normand and Clement Lenglet were ultimately turned down by Valencia.

The club rejected two Atletico bids, the first for €20 million plus add-ons and the second for a fixed fee of €22 million. While the total offers approached Valencia’s €25 million asking price, they insisted on an upfront payment, which Atletico was unwilling to meet.

With Lenglet’s loan expiring in 2025, Atletico Madrid may revisit their interest in Mosquera next summer.

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