Football Espana

Atletico Madrid are poised to have another big-spending summer transfer window in 2026, with multiple areas in Diego Simeone’s squad needing to be addressed. One of those is central defence, where there could be several exits.

Jose Maria Gimenez has been strong linked with ending his 13-year stay at the club, while Clement Lenglet could also be on his way out a year after joining permanently from Barcelona. In terms of replacements, Cristian Romero continues to be linked with a move to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, as Atleti consider adding to their growing Argentine contingent.

Atleti tried to sign Romero last summer, and 12 months on, they could make their move again. However, it has now been reported by Sky Sports (via Atletico Universe) that several club officials have reservations about signing the 2022 World Cup winner.

Price is an issue for Atleti

According to the report, there is a feeling within Atleti that Romero’s asking price, which is likely to be in excess of €50m, would not be worth it. €30m is considered to an acceptable amount to pay for the 27-year-old, who still has another three years remaining on his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

Furthermore, Atleti have started to alter their transfer policy, which makes a move for Romero less likely. The success of Marc Pubill’s move from Almeria has prompted sporting director Mateu Alemany to target young Spanish talents, which is why Villarreal’s Pau Navarro could be more likely to join.

It remains to be seen whether Atleti move for Romero in the summer. He would be an ideal addition to Simeone’s squad, but whether the finances are deemed acceptable is a different story. Considering that several positions need to be addressed over the course of the transfer window, Los Colchoneros cannot afford to go big on the Argentina international.

Atletico Madrid set themselves up well for this week’s Champions League Round of 16 first leg against Tottenham Hotspur after a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend. However, it was not without setback, with midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza having to be forced off at half time after he suffered a blow to his ankle.

Mendoza, who has been a regular starter in La Liga since his January move from Elche, clashed with La Real winger Ander Barrenetxea, and he was the one to come off worse. He could not continue, and the long-term outcome isn’t much better.

Atleti have confirmed that Mendoza has suffered a “moderate-grade sprain in his right ankle”, which Marca say will keep him out of the next few matches. That would mean he misses both legs of the Spurs tie, while he could be unavailable for further crucial fixtures in the coming weeks/months.

Worryingly, it has been noted that Mendoza’s ankle injury, which is a grade two, could keep him out for up to six weeks. If this is the case, he would be a doubt for the Copa del Rey final against La Real, which would be a bitter blow for the talented 20-year-old.

Mendoza injury coincides with Pablo Barrios return

In more positive news for Atleti, Mendoza’s injury has coincided with the return of Pablo Barrios, who has been missing for the last month. He should receive the medical green light for Tuesday’s first leg against Spurs, which takes place at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.

Barrios has been missed in the weeks since he was injured against Real Betis, but he is ready to make his return to action at a crucial stage of Atleti’s season. He may not be ready to start against Spurs, but he will have chances to make a significant contribution from the bench.

Barcelona are planning to address multiple areas of Hansi Flick’s squad during the upcoming summer transfer window, and arguably the most pressing is central defence. Pau Cubarsi, Ronald Araujo and Gerard Martin have struggled at times throughout the season, which is why the Catalans’ sporting department want to fill the void that was left by Inigo Martinez’s exit in 2025.

The likes of Alessandro Bastoni and Marcos Senesi have been linked with a move to the Spotify Camp Nou, but at the other end of the experience scale, Barcelona also have Luka Vuskovic as an option. The Croatian defender, who has excelled on loan at Hamburg this season, has been strongly linked with leaving Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, and the Catalans are already on the case.

It’s been reported that talks have taken place between Barcelona officials and Vuskovic’s entourage, and as per 365scores (via Sport), the player’s agent Pini Zahavi has refused to deny these rumours.

“I cannot comment at this time. The player still has a contract with Hamburg and his concentration is there.”

Barcelona relations with Zahavi could work in their favour

The fact that Joan Laporta, who is seeking to be re-elected as Barcelona president this coming weekend, has a close relationship with Pini Zahavi could give the Catalans the edge in the race to sign Vuskovic. A number of other clubs are keeping tabs on the situation with the 19-year-old, although they could be left behind by those at the Spotify Camp Nou.

The expectation is that the summer transfer window will be busy for Real Madrid, with plans for signings and exits. In the latter category, the likes of David Alaba and Antonio Rudiger feature prominently, and another that could end up leaving the Bernabeu on a permanent basis is Endrick Felipe.

Since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 from Palmeiras, Endrick has struggled to make a significant impression. The vast majority of his 40 appearances have come as a substitute, and in that time, he has scored seven times. This season, he only featured in three matches, which is why he was sent on loan to Lyon during the winter transfer window.

Endrick has impressed for Lyon, and Real Madrid have been following his progress in France. They aren’t the only ones, with TEAMtalk (via CaughtOffside) reporting that Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur also have a firm interest in the teenage striker.

The two North London clubs believe that an opportunity to sign Endrick could present itself in the summer. There is no easy way into the starting line-up for the Brazil international, who has to compete against Kylian Mbappe and Gonzalo Garcia for minutes as a number nine.

Real Madrid stance on Endrick is very clear

Despite this, Real Madrid have made it clear that Endrick will be returning in the summer from Lyon, and that there are no plans to consider another exit – whether that be another loan or a transfer. They are counting on him, and with Xabi Alonso no longer at the club, the likelihood is that he will feature more than he did during the first half of the season, especially if Alvaro Arbeloa stays in charge.

Arsenal and Spurs may well move for Endrick, but the chances of Real Madrid or the player himself agreeing to a deal is very slim.

Real Madrid could see multiple prominent players leave the club when their contracts expire at the end of the season. David Alaba is almost certain to depart, and joining him could be Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger.

In Rudiger’s case, he will have the chance to prove his worth between now and the end of the season. Real Madrid officials are concerned about the number of injury woes he has sustained over the last 12 months, and if he fails to recover from these, it would be no surprise if he was not offered a new contract.

If this proves to be the case, Rudiger would have no shortage of offers from other top European clubs. Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are both monitoring his situation at the Bernabeu, while Tottenham Hotspur are already thinking about signing him as a free agent, according to TEAMtalk (via ED).

Spurs are fearful of losing star defender Cristian Romero, who has been strongly linked with a summer move to Atletico Madrid or Barcelona in recent weeks, and they see Rudiger as someone that could replace the Argentine – especially given that he can be signed without a transfer fee.

What should Real Madrid do regarding Rudiger?

It has been an extremely difficult season for Rudiger, who has managed only nine appearances across all competitions since August. Real Madrid are right to doubt his fitness, and if he fails to recover from these woes that have plagued him in recent months, it would make no sense to keep him around – even if his experience is invaluable.

The next few months are crucial for Rudiger, who would prioritise staying at Real Madrid over all other options. He’s back fit now, so he could soon make his return to the line-up under Alvaro Arbeloa, who could call upon him for this weekend’s match against in-form Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu.

Villarreal will bid farwell to on-loan Tottenham Hotspur winger Manor Solomon at the start of the January transfer window. The Israeli forward is packing his bags for a move to Serie A, and the Yellow Submarine have agreed to terminate their agreement for Solomon six months early.

The 26-year-old arrived at La Ceramica on transfer deadline day, as Villarreal looked to strengthen their squad going into the Champions League. However he has failed to make the desired impact, appearing 11 times for 358 minutes. He did grab one goal and four assists in that time, including a crucial winner against Sevilla, but three of those assists came against lower league Ciudad Lucena in the Copa del Rey.

Solomon to leave for Fiorentina

According to Fabrizio Romano, Spurs and Fiorentina have agreed on a loan deal for Solomon until the end of the season. His loan move at Villarreal will be ended, and it seems none of the three parties were looking to stand in the way of that happening.

With Villarreal now out of the Champions League (they play out the final two games of their schedule in January with nothing on the line), and out of the Copa del Rey, Marcelino Garcia Toral will have less need for a larger squad in the second half of the season.

🚨🟣 EXCLUSIVE: Fiorentina reach verbal agreement to sign Manor Solomon, here we go!

The winger is set to leave Villarreal with loan move to be interrupted and new transfer to Fiorentina from Tottenham.

Deal agreed today. ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/wXe38orfJD

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 31, 2025

A controversial stay in Spain

It was no secret that Barcelona needed to get a number of players off their books during the summer transfer window, given their well-documented financial woes. However, they did not end up needing to make a major sale, with the only notable exit being Inigo Martinez’s move to Al-Nassr.

However, that did not stop interest from other clubs in Hansi Flick’s players. Fermin Lopez was wanted by Chelsea, while Marc Casado was also linked with a Premier League move – and as it turns out, another Barcelona star could have headed to England too.

As per Sport, Ronald Araujo attracted a lot of interest during the summer transfer window, with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus making moves to sign him.

Araujo had considered leaving Barcelona back in January, but in the end, he signed a new long-term contract. His desire is to become a massive success in the Catalan capital, which is why he communicated to Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs and Juventus that he had absolutely no intention of joining any of them.

Interest still remains despite summer rejection

Araujo may have turned down all offers in the summer, but at least one club are not giving up their pursuit. Liverpool see the Uruguay international as an ideal replacement for Real Madrid-linked Ibrahima Konate, so there is a chance that they return to the table in 2026 if he were not to sign a new contract.

Araujo had a difficult first few weeks of the season, but recently, he has upped his performance levels. He is not a guaranteed starter for Flick, as was shown by his benching for the midweek showdown against PSG, but equally, he is valued incredibly highly by the Barcelona manager, who is among those that want him to remain at the club for years to come.

Atletico Madrid are hoping to make one more signing before Monday’s deadline, but for this to happen, they need to sell someone. And a leading candidate in this regard is Conor Gallagher.

Gallagher arrived at Atleti last summer in a big-money move from Chelsea, but he struggled to hold down a regular starting spot during his first season at the RiyadhAir Metropolitano. And with a host of new signings having joined during the current transfer window, it is far from certain that he will manage to do it during the 2025-26 campaign too.

This has led to reports that he could return to England, with former club Crystal Palace keen on re-signing him. However, they are not alone, with CaughtOffside reporting that Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also in the race for the 25-year-old midfielder.

Atleti want £45m to sell Gallagher before Monday’s deadline

Spurs are believed to be leading the race to sign Gallagher, having held a long-term interest in his services. Man United are monitoring the situation, while Newcastle and Crystal Palace are also eyeing moves. But it will not be easy for any to get a deal done as Atleti are reportedly asking for £45m.

An offer in the region of £35-40m is said to be being prepared by Spurs, who are aiming to test Atleti’s resolve. Officials at the RiyadhAir Metropolitano know that the sale of Gallagher would open the door to signing Nico Gonzalez from Juventus, who would be the final piece in Diego Simeone’s puzzle in attack.

It remains to be seen whether Gallagher does leave Atleti before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. Any deal would need to be favourites for Los Colchoneros, as they would not have much time left to use the money raised from the sale.

There are only four days to go until the summer transfer window closes, and there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding Barcelona. Their inability to register the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Gerard Martin has led them to consider selling the likes of Marc Casado and Fermin Lopez – and in the case of the latter, he could be on his way to the Premier League.

Earlier this week, Chelsea submitted an opening offer of €50m for Fermin, who has been studying a contract proposal from the Premier League side. And while that was turned down by Barcelona, it has since been reported that they are prepared to go up to €65m.

However, this is nothing compared to what fellow Premier League side Newcastle United are willing to pay, with El Chiringuito reporting that the St James’ Park club are willing to reach €100m, while Tottenham Hotspur are also said to be considering Fermin as an option.

Offer would far exceed Barcelona’s asking price for Fermin

If this offer were to be officially submitted by Newcastle, there is little doubt that Barcelona would accept. They are believed to be asking for €70m to let the 22-year-old midfielder leave, so this would be way in excess of this.

However, it would also be less likely that Fermin would be open to joining – at least compared to Chelsea, although he would likely receive more playing time in Eddie Howe’s squad. And this could be a key factor as to whether the Spain international would be willing to leave Barcelona in exchange for a move to the north East of England.

Newcastle, who will host Barcelona in the league phase of this season’s Champions League, will have the money to spend on Fermin, given that they are now expected to sell Alexander Isak after signing Nick Woltemade as his replacement. However, it would be unlikely that they offer €100m, given the reported asking price.

Real Madrid will not be overly busy for the remainder of the summer transfer window, which closes on Monday evening. However, they do have multiple plates spinning, and one of them involves Nico Paz.

Paz, who had an excellent first season at Serie A side Como following a €6m move from Real Madrid last summer, has attracted significant interest in recent weeks, and the latest has come from Tottenham Hotspur. The 21-year-old is wanted by the Premier League giants after they missed out on Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze, and earlier this week, they presented a €70m offer to sign him.

However, both Real Madrid and Como are determined to block a deal from happy, with Los Blancos’ intention being to re-sign him in 2026 using their buy-back clause. However, their resolve will be tested one last time.

As per MD, Spurs are readying one final offer for Paz, expected to be in the region of €75m. Real Madrid will again seek to stop any deal from happening, although it will be easier said than done.

Why do Real Madrid want to re-sign Paz next summer?

Paz had a fantastic debut campaign at Como during the 2024-25 season, and this has seen him attract interest from several clubs. However, Real Madrid’s control over his future means that they are in the driving seat, much to the frustration of Spurs.

Real Madrid see next summer as the ideal time to bring Paz back to the Santiago Bernabeu, and despite the presence of fellow attacking midfielders Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Franco Mastantuono and Brahim Diaz, he is expected to be a player that is counted upon for regular minutes.

Paz’s return could see one of those players leave next summer – most likely Brahim, although he is currently a leading option on the right wing for Xabi Alonso. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether there is any change in his situation in 2025.