Atlético’s double U-turn: why Salinas and Tagliafico slipped away in 48 hours | OneFootball

Atlético Madrid ended the window without a new left-back after late pursuits of Jorge Salinas and Nicolás Tagliafico came to nothing, and turned to Dani Martínez. Salinas stays at Racing, Tagliafico remains at Lyon.

According to La Colina De Nervion, Racing set a clear 16 million euro price for Salinas and in August rebuffed Atlético’s 14 million bid, which included a loan player and 1 million in add-ons. The 19-year-old has started all three LaLiga 2026/27 matches, playing 270 minutes.

With Salinas stalled, Diego Pablo Simeone moved on deadline day for 34-year-old Tagliafico, a request made by the coach. The Argentina international approved the move and Atlético began talks with Lyon. It marked a switch from future investment to immediate experience at a lower fee.

After the deadline, one version suggested Simeone asked for Tagliafico to be prioritised, which would explain why the Salinas option faded as Lyon talks sped up. That agreement fell short, with time tight and Lyon needing cover, and the salary cap not cited as decisive. The club ultimately chose an internal solution.

At 23:42 on 1 September Atlético announced Martínez, 22, as a senior player and extended his contract to 2030. He played 33 games for Atlético Madrileño last season and debuted for the first team in April at Sevilla’s Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.

Racing keep a major asset after holding their valuation all summer. For Atlético, attention turns to Martínez, the outcome of a hectic 48 hours that delivered a double change of course.

Source: La Colina De Nervion

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”