Thiago Almada joins River Plate a year after Atlético switch from Lyon | OneFootball

Thiago Almada has joined River Plate from Atlético Madrid, only a year after leaving Lyon for the Spanish club. The move was confirmed on Saturday, with the contract length undisclosed. River Plate’s sporting director is Pablo Longoria.

Marca states that the fee is around €20 million, which would make it the most expensive transfer in the history of the Argentine league.

Almada, 25, returns to Argentina more than four years after departing boyhood club Velez Sarsfield. He made 40 appearances for Atlético across all competitions last season, scoring four goals.

He spent January to June 2025 at Lyon on loan from Botafogo, another club in the Eagle group. He then joined Atlético last summer for €21 million.

The midfielder featured at the World Cup for Argentina, playing five matches.

Source: L'Équipe

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