Molina out at Atlético, targeted by Man City before World Cup 2026 | OneFootball

Lionel Scaloni is clear that every player on the Argentina National Team must prove themselves every week at their clubs in order to earn a call-up to the squad, in this case for the friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in the United States. One player who is seeing less and less playing time is Nahuel Molina at Atlético de Madrid, although in recent hours, interest from Manchester City has emerged that could revitalize his career.

The right back, who has been competing head-to-head for the starting spot in the senior team with Gonzalo Montiel since before Qatar 2022, is no longer a starter for Diego Simeone at the Colchonero. He operates in the shadow of Marcos Llorente and, in several matches, even the versatile Giuliano Simeone, who is used to making runs up and down the flank.

With the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada 2026 drawing ever closer on the football horizon, he knows he will need to start getting more minutes to arrive with match fitness and confidence to defend the title. Cholo currently cannot guarantee him a leading role in the Spanish capital and, according to TEAMtalk, City is closely monitoring the situation.

Pep Guardiola is looking for a reliable full-back, and the former Boca player has the characteristics the coach considers necessary. The report from the British outlet also details that the deal would not require a high fee, as Atlético de Madrid would be willing to negotiate due to Molina's lack of playing time.

The sporting context itself and the possibility of playing in the Premier League make Manchester City an attractive destination, despite his lackluster last season. It would not be the first time the Argentine has been linked to England: earlier this year, he was on Nottingham Forest's radar, but that negotiation did not go through.

During this campaign, Molina has started just one of Atlético's nine matches. He came off the bench in five of them, and in the remaining three, he did not play at all, totaling only 144 minutes of action. Since his arrival in 2022 from Udinese, he has played 141 matches in total, scored seven goals, and provided thirteen assists.

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