Javi Galán and Carlos Martín, key to unlocking the winter transfer market | OneFootball

After just over two months in the position, Mateu Alemany has already gotten a feel for the sports structure of Atlético de Madrid. The new director of professional men's football has conducted a thorough assessment of the squad, identifying both its potential and the shortcomings from last summer. Although the main idea is to build a fully recognizable project starting next season, the offices at the Metropolitano do not rule out making moves in this winter market if the right conditions arise. In this scenario, more than arrivals, certain departures are becoming increasingly inevitable.

The emergence of Pubill as a central defender has completely altered the initial roadmap. What seemed like a clear priority, reinforcing the center of the defense in January, has taken a back seat thanks to the good performance of the former Almería player and the return of Giménez, who, when available, remains the defensive backbone of Simeone's team. This is where the left-back position comes into focus. The reliability shown by Hancko, and the inconsistent performance of Ruggeri in more demanding matches have highlighted that the position is still not well covered. But to act, Atlético needs to free up salary space and squad spots, and the name leading the exit ramp is Javi Galán.

The Extremaduran left-back hasn't played since last October 5 and his role is completely marginal. He was already out of plans in the summer, but his move to Nottingham Forest fell through at the last minute, forcing the club to keep him against his will. Now, with the winter market as a new window, everything points to his departure finally happening. His exit would open the door to bringing in a left-back suited to the current needs of the team and the profile Simeone is looking for.

It's not the only case. Carlos Martín is also destined to leave. The youth player, who attracted interest from clubs in the First, Second, and even abroad in the last summer market, ultimately stayed with the club for economic reasons. However, the reality is that he hasn't had continuity, with merely token participation, just a few minutes against Eintracht, making his continuity at Atlético de Madrid very difficult.

Thus, the winter market for Atlético de Madrid seems set to be resolved through departures. Javi Galán and Carlos Martín symbolize two almost mandatory decisions to adjust the squad and allow Mateu Alemany to start shaping Atlético as he envisions.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.