Football: Almada Leaves Atletico Madrid to Rejoin River Plate

A year in, then out

Twelve months. That is all Thiago Almada lasted at Atletico Madrid. The Argentine is packing his bags. River Plate is the destination, and it’s official.

Atletico confirmed the deal on Saturday. The fee is set at around 20 million euros. The 25-year-old attacking midfielder is heading back home after arriving a year ago from Botafogo.

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A move that never really caught fire

The return was modest. Around 40 appearances in red and white. Just four goals. Hardly enough to lock down a regular spot in Diego Simeone’s rotation.

The pedigree was there, though. Olympic champion with Argentina, a spell in MLS and a year at Lyon before Madrid, Almada looked like the sort of player Atletico could unlock. It never happened.

Back home

River Plate are getting an Argentina international who wants minutes, and for a Buenos Aires club chasing depth that is shrewd business. For Almada, it is a reset in the city where his career first caught light. Whether Madrid was a wrong turn or just bad timing, he no longer has to answer that in Spain.

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