Atletico Madrid Eye Third Attempt to Sign Aleix García for €25m | OneFootball

Diario AS report that Atletico Madrid have revived their interest in Aleix García (28), the Bayer Leverkusen midfielder who has been on Los Colchoneros’ midfield shortlist for over a year. Director Mateu Alemany is understood to be managing the target list, with García identified as a realistic and relatively affordable option in what is shaping up to be an active summer of recruitment at the Metropolitano.

This is not fresh interest so much as a renewed push. Atletico first pursued García during last season’s summer window and returned to the trail in January, only to fall short on both occasions. That the club has come back a third time suggests something more than casual scouting, though Diario AS stop short of reporting any formal offer has been lodged with Leverkusen at this stage.

García’s contract and reported asking price

García joined Leverkusen from Girona in the summer of 2024 for around €18 million, and the German club tied him down through to 2029. His market value is placed at around €20 million, with AS noting that Leverkusen would likely require approximately €25 million to sanction a sale. That figure sits well below other midfield targets Atletico are weighing up: the report names Morten Hjulmand – the Sporting CP and Denmark holding midfielder – as an alternative, with his price tag sitting closer to €45 million.

The gap between those two valuations gives a clear indication of where García sits in Atletico’s planning: an attainable, experienced option rather than a marquee statement signing. Whether Simeone sees that as a virtue or a ceiling will shape how seriously the pursuit develops.

A strong season justifies the interest

García had a thoroughly convincing 2025-26 campaign. He started 33 Bundesliga matches, featured in 12 Champions League games, and added five appearances in the German Cup – 50 official fixtures in total, accumulating 4,160 minutes, six goals, and eleven assists. Sofascore’s end-of-season data ranked him as the highest-rated midfielder in the Bundesliga, earning him inclusion in the league’s team of the season alongside Kimmich, Kane, and Olise.

That level of consistency across domestic and European competition is exactly the kind of profile Atletico would be targeting as a complement or replacement for Conor Gallagher in the centre of the park. García organises play efficiently, covers ground, and contributes directly to goals – qualities that suit the demands Simeone places on his midfielders.

García open to a return, but settled in Germany

The player’s own comments point to cautious openness rather than agitation for a move. Speaking to AS in February, García confirmed that contact had been made during the winter window: “Yes, I know there have been calls. But I always say that when it rings and nothing happens, it’s because it wasn’t meant to happen. And as I’m at Leverkusen, I’m delighted and I want to carry on.” Asked separately whether he could see himself playing for one of Spain’s three biggest clubs, he said: “I can see myself, yes. That’s clear. I know it’s complicated because they’re three of the biggest clubs in the world. Maybe they look for slightly younger profiles, but I can clearly see myself. I think I’m playing at a good level at Leverkusen, and if it ever came, it would be welcome.”

That framing – open but not pushing – is consistent with a player who has a long contract, genuine job satisfaction, and enough self-awareness to understand the competitive dynamics at clubs of that size. It does not read as a player engineering an exit.

What this means for Atletico Madrid’s summer

Atletico’s midfield recruitment this summer extends well beyond García. The club have also been in discussions over a City midfielder, and as previously covered on Football Espana, negotiations with Leverkusen over Alejandro Grimaldo are running in parallel – which means Atletico are already in active dialogue with the same German club they would need to approach formally for García. Whether that existing relationship smooths or complicates a second negotiation with Leverkusen remains to be seen.

The next meaningful development will be whether Atletico escalate from informal interest to a concrete offer, and whether Leverkusen hold firm at €25 million or are willing to move on a player who, at 28, offers them limited resale upside before his contract expires.