Atletico Madrid open talks to sign Grimaldo as Leverkusen slash asking price to €13m

Atletico Madrid have opened formal talks to sign Alejandro Grimaldo from Bayer Leverkusen, with the German club setting an asking price of €10-13m for the 30-year-old Spanish left-back, according to transfer reporter Matteo Moretto. Transfer specialist Nicolò Schira adds that Atletico have already placed a contract offer on the table running until 2029, with an option for a further year — suggesting negotiations on the player’s side are well ahead of those with Leverkusen.

This is not the first time Atletico have pursued Grimaldo. Spanish outlets SER and AS reported interest as early as May 2025, but Leverkusen’s then-asking price of around €30m killed momentum before talks could develop. Grimaldo later confirmed there had been conversations with Atletico, but that the move had not come close to materialising. That context makes the current, substantially reduced valuation all the more significant for both clubs.

Grimaldo’s Transfermarkt valuation sits at approximately €20m, meaning Leverkusen appear prepared to absorb a notable discount. The explanation lies partly in his contract situation: his deal runs until 2027, leaving this summer as one of the last windows in which the club can extract a meaningful fee before he approaches free agency. Reports also reference a clause that facilitates a return to La Liga, with figures in the €15-20m range cited for Spanish clubs.

Leverkusen’s own circumstances are accelerating their willingness to sell. The club finished sixth in the Bundesliga, will be without Champions League football next season, and are transitioning to new head coach Carles Martínez Novell. German reports link Grimaldo’s potential departure directly to that reshuffle, with Leverkusen understood to have around €60m earmarked for reinforcements — a pot that a sale would help fund.

Grimaldo’s profile fits Diego Simeone’s system as an attack-minded wing-back with proven end-product: 14 goals and 14 assists across 46 appearances in 2025/26, and 30 goals and 45 assists in 145 Leverkusen appearances overall. Spanish outlets describe the operation as considerably cheaper than alternatives such as Marc Cucurella, making the deal attractive for a club managing its finances carefully this summer.

Atletico are not the only interested party. Barcelona are also monitoring Grimaldo as cover should Alejandro Balde depart, meaning Los Rojiblancos face competition if they do not move decisively. The key outstanding question is whether Atletico will table a formal bid within Leverkusen’s stated range and how quickly the German club respond.