River Plate has confirmed the signing of Thiago Almada, concluding the race for the midfielder and frustrating Flamengo in the South American transfer market.
Argentine football welcomes a significant reinforcement with the official arrival of Thiago Almada at River Plate. The Buenos Aires club reached an agreement with Atlético de Madrid to acquire all of the player’s economic rights in a deal valued at 20 million euros, equivalent to approximately R$ 118 million at the current exchange rate. This move marks the athlete’s return to his home country and puts an end to an intense negotiation that also involved Flamengo.
Almada‘s signing by River Plate had been in the works for several days. Sources close to the negotiation, investigated by the Equipe M360, indicate that a consensus between the club and the player for a three-and-a-half-year contract was already established since the weekend before the announcement, demonstrating the athlete’s priority to play in Argentina again.
Competition with Flamengo
Flamengo, one of the giants of Brazilian football, had shown strong interest in Thiago Almada during this transfer window, seeing the midfielder as a potential reinforcement for their squad. However, Almada‘s preference for a return to his homeland was decisive in the outcome of the negotiations. Faced with a lack of a conclusive response from the player, the Rio de Janeiro club altered its strategy.
Recently, Flamengo redirected its efforts towards signing Luis Henrique, a forward who currently plays for Zenit in Russia. This shift in focus by the Rubro-Negro opened the path for River Plate to finalize the deal to have Thiago Almada in their squad without further obstacles.
Stint at Atlético de Madrid
Thiago Almada arrived at Atlético de Madrid with high expectations, having been signed for 25 million euros (approximately R$ 140 million) at the request of coach Diego Simeone. However, his time with the Colchoneros did not live up to the investment. The midfielder failed to establish himself and delivered a performance below expectations, being considered one of the biggest disappointments of last season in Spanish football.
With his arrival at River Plate, Almada is expected to rediscover his best form and contribute significantly to the Argentine club’s objectives in the coming seasons. The negotiation highlights River Plate‘s investment capacity and reinforces its ambitions on the South American stage, while Flamengo seeks other alternatives to strengthen its team.
Equipe M360
