Atlético must sell Sørloth, Almada and possibly Giménez to fund summer rebuild

Atlético Madrid’s ability to reshape their squad this summer hinges on resolving a cluster of outgoing situations, with Marca reporting that Alexander Sørloth, Thiago Almada, José Giménez and Clément Lenglet are all expected to leave the Metropolitano. Sporting director Mateu Alemany has already confirmed two arrivals but requires significant sales income before moving further in the market.

The most emotionally charged of those potential exits involves Giménez, who has spent 13 years at the club and holds the captaincy. The 29-year-old Uruguayan remains a deeply respected figure within the institution — Marca note that Atlético’s management will not pressure him into leaving — but the sporting calculus has shifted. Persistent injuries this season have kept him well below the minutes threshold required of even a reliable rotation option, and Mateu Alemany is reportedly prepared to sanction at least one significant sale in central defence if a sizeable offer arrives. Intermediary reports cited by Matteo Moretto indicate interest from clubs in Argentina and Italy has already been communicated to Atlético, suggesting genuine market demand rather than speculation. With two years remaining on his contract, the club retains leverage, though that window may narrow as his injury record grows. Both club and player are said to be aligned on the possibility of a fresh start following the World Cup.

Lenglet’s situation carries a different kind of awkwardness. The 29-year-old Frenchman was signed just twelve months ago on a three-year deal yet has failed to rise above fifth-choice centre-back in Diego Simeone’s rotation. Marca report that a succession of costly errors in the matches he did play accelerated his fall from favour, leaving Atlético facing the uncomfortable task of moving on a player so recently acquired.

The broader context shaping all of these decisions is the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Julián Álvarez. The 26-year-old Argentine striker publicly described a move to Barcelona as “el sueño” — the dream — during the World Cup, casting a long shadow over Atlético’s summer planning. While the Álvarez situation operates on a different scale to the departures detailed above, the two storylines are financially connected: how much room Alemany has to operate depends in large part on what the club can generate from outgoings across the squad.

Atlético’s summer, then, is being shaped as much by who leaves as by who arrives — a familiar dynamic at a club that has consistently relied on shrewd squad management to compete with Europe’s wealthiest sides.