The winter market, an increasingly used window… especially by Atlético: "There was cash after Carrasco left and they wanted to take advantage"

It is often said that the winter transfer market is a time of crisis for clubs. However, Álvaro Torres, Football Director of the You First agency, prefers to view it as an opportunity for teams to find solutions. These solutions can include addressing issues such as injuries, poor squad performance, or taking advantage of market opportunities. This is especially true for clubs that are at the bottom of the table or have players in the last year of their contract.

While Atlético Madrid currently sits at the top of the table and does not have any emergencies to address, they have still been active in the winter transfer window. Along with Granada, they have been one of the most active clubs in this window.

There are six moves that Atlético Madrid is expected to make in this market. They have already confirmed the signings of goalkeeper Horatiu Moldovan from Rapid Bucharest and midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from Antwerp. These additions were made possible by the funds generated from the departure of Yannick Carrasco.

In addition to the two signings, Atlético Madrid has made other moves in the market. Goalkeeper Ivo Grbic has been sold to Sheffield United, while Javi Galán has been loaned to Real Sociedad and Caglar Söyüncü has been loaned to Fenerbahce. These moves are part of the trend in this window, which sees more loans than transfers due to financial constraints.

Another notable addition to the team is Gabriel Paulista, who was brought in to strengthen the defense. The Brazilian had been on Valencia’s exit ramp and was a necessary arrival considering the injuries to Azpilicueta and Giménez, as well as the departure of another central defender.

There were also attempts to bring in Moise Kean from Juventus and Angel Correa’s departure to Al-Ittihad. However, these deals did not go through due to various reasons such as failed medicals or disagreement on transfer fees.

Finally, it was announced that Óscar ‘El Profe’ Ortega, the physical trainer, will be leaving Atlético Madrid at the end of the season. He has been with the club for three stages, including the current one with Diego Simeone.

Overall, these six operations make this the most active winter transfer window for Atlético Madrid in the last five years. While they are not as active as Granada, the trend in recent years has shown an increase in both the number of transfers and the amount of money involved in the winter market.