Atlético de Madrid put Thiago Almada up for sale after limited game time | OneFootball

Thiago Almada's story at Atlético de Madrid took an abrupt turn. Thus, what had started as a strong bet to strengthen the attack ended, in record time, as an uncomfortable situation for all parties involved, with the player now labeled as transferable just six months after his arrival at the club.

The numbers explain much of the problem. In just half a year, he accumulated 571 official minutes, a scarce participation that left him without influence in Diego Simeone's system. As a result, the lack of continuity made him expendable in a squad that demands immediate performance.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, the management took a clear stance. According to the program El Larguero on Cadena SER, the leadership headed by Enrique Cerezo considers the world champion transferable and is awaiting offers to try to recover the investment made, when in June 2025 they paid 21 million euros for half of his rights, acquiring him from Olympique de Lyon.

The situation has set off alarm bells in the National Team, with the World Cup less than six months away. Today, Almada seems to be part of the core that Lionel Scaloni is considering for the next World Cup, but the uncertainty regarding his future casts doubt on this possibility.

The continuation of this trend could have major sporting consequences. A loan move or a sale to a less prominent destination, combined with a lack of playing time, could seriously jeopardize his chances of being at the tournament to be held between June and July in North America. Nevertheless, the support of the Albiceleste coaching staff remains a positive point and, regardless of his current situation at the club, the player has always delivered whenever Lionel Scaloni has called upon him, which has allowed him to remain in consideration.

His recent performances with the national team back up that trust. He was decisive in key World Cup Qualifier victories: he scored against Uruguay, assisted against Chile, found the net against Colombia, and played an active role in resounding wins, including the victory over Brazil at the Monumental. Even so, Almada will now have to resolve his immediate future before he can dream of a call-up to defend the crown won in Qatar 2022.

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