Atletico Madrid step up Hancko pursuit after failed Saudi move | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid have revived their interest in Feyenoord defender David Hancko after his failed move to Al-Nassr (h/t Diario AS).

The Slovakian centre-back had agreed a €35 million transfer with the Saudi Pro League giants, who pulled the plug on the deal at the last moment.

It has put Atletico on red alert, who were previously monitoring Hancko in this transfer window.

After cooling their interest in Tottenham Hotspur centre-back Cristian Romero, the La Liga giants have now turned their focus towards Hancko.

Atletico have already signed Clement Lenglet permanently from Barcelona, but they still need a solid presence to marshal the defence due to Jose Gimenez’s worrying form.

Hancko has become one of the coveted defenders in Europe following his stellar 2024/25 campaign.

The 27-year-old bagged four goals and four assists in 47 games. He delivered inspiring performances in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Manchester City and AC Milan.

Hancko is a formidable front-footed defender, ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive passes and progressive carries.

He also has a penchant for playing defence-splitting passes, highlighted by his average of 7.09 passes into the final third per game.

Atletico are also accelerating their talks to sign Chelsea defender Renato Veiga.

The Portuguese defender has given the green light to the move, but Atletico have had an offer worth €35 million rejected by the Premier League club.

Atletico have been proactive in the summer transfer window, signing Johnny Cardoso, Alex Baena, Matteo Ruggeri and Thiago Almada.

Marc Pubill is next in line after they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race to sign him.