Atlético de Madrid accelerates for Nicolás Tagliafico as the transfer market closes

The last day of the transfer market continues to be a topic of discussion. As the closing of the transfer windows approaches, Atlético de Madrid accelerated efforts to acquire Nicolás Tagliafico and gained an advantage over Juventus, which had also shown interest in signing him.

The team managed by Diego Simeone has already made progress in negotiations with Olympique de Lyon, the owner of the 34-year-old defender's contract. The left-back of the Argentine National Team has a contract with the French club until 2027, although the economic context the club is facing could facilitate his departure before the market closes.

According to specialized journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Argentine has given the green light to both Atlético and Juventus. Therefore, the decision now lies with the clubs, which must reach an agreement for the transfer in the coming hours.

El Colchonero is the one in the best position after intensifying talks with Lyon. The intention of the Madrid club is to quickly finalize the operation and add an experienced option for the left side, where they also signed Álex Grimaldo during this window.

To finalize Tagliafico's arrival, Atlético is also working on freeing up space within their salary cap. Among the departures that could contribute to this goal are José María Giménez, Thomas Lemar, Carlos Martín, and Obed Vargas, in a race against time to meet the market closing deadline.

On the other hand, Juventus maintains its intentions to sign the world champion. The Italian team had initially gained momentum, but the progress of Simeone's team changed the scenario, and now the defender's future seems to lean towards Madrid.

Tagliafico arrived in European football in early 2018 when he joined Ajax from Independiente. After his successful experience in the Netherlands, he continued his career in France and has been wearing the Lyon jersey since July 2022, just a few months before becoming a world champion with the Argentine National Team in Qatar.

If his transfer to Atlético is finalized, the defender would have his first experience in LaLiga and will return to play in one of the major European competitions. For Simeone, it would also mean adding an experienced player with international experience to face the season.

Time is of the essence, though. Both in Spain and Italy, the market closes this Tuesday, so the next few hours will be crucial to determine whether Tagliafico swaps Lyon for Madrid or takes another direction.

Tagliafico's numbers at Lyon

Since his arrival at the French club in mid-2022, the native of Rafael Calzada has played 10,608 minutes, spread over 134 matches, in which he scored 9 goals, provided 13 assists, and received 33 yellow cards and 4 red cards, 3 for double bookings and 1 direct.