Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone’s new dream signing helped drive over Sweden in the World Cup last night.

It won’t be as easy as it was before France’s 3-0 victory, but with fresh money from new owners and extensive player sales, the bosses at the Wanda Metropolitano believe they will land a deal.

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Atletico Madrid seem to have resigned themselves to keeping Julián Álvarez and Norwegian striker Alexander Sørloth, who no longer accepts being just a super reserve, will probably be sold to Serie A, unless a couple of Premier League clubs wake up.

Atlético Madrid will try to sign Bradley Barcola – and thus change the course of European football. The Frenchman is Simeone’s new desire to renew his attacking line.

In yesterday’s World Cup match between France and Sweden, the super talent scored the middle goal in the 3-0 win – another testament to his extreme qualities. At the same time, it shows how paradoxical the situation is: Barcola has become absolutely central for France, but a low priority at PSG.

Atlético’s sporting management has set its sights on Paris with the aim of signing a winger of absolute international class. 23-year-old Barcola has decided to leave PSG due to a lack of playing time under Luis Enrique – and Atlético will take advantage of the situation.

A crucial factor is the excellent relations between the clubs, not least thanks to the imminent transfer of Kang-In Lee. This paves the way for formal talks about Barcola, who has a contract until 2028.

The road to the top

Bradley Barcola started his career at Lyon, where he quickly became one of Ligue 1’s most exciting youngsters. In 2023, he made the move to PSG, but struggled to get regular playing time in a star-studded squad. Despite that, he has emerged as a key player for the French national team – and showed at the World Cup that he belongs on the biggest stages. Now he is ready for a new chapter.

Finances derived from Álvarez sale

The real driving force behind the transfer comes from a gigantic sale: Julián Álvarez. Atlético’s technical secretariat plans to reinvest the proceeds from the Argentine’s departure – reports put the transfer fee at around €150 million. This gives the financial muscle to pick up Barcola without weakening the budget balance.

Simeone: “This is the player we need”

Simeone believes the team lacks verticality, open ground and aggressiveness in one-on-one situations – qualities Barcola has shown in Ligue 1. He sees the Frenchman as the ideal card to add energy in the final meters.

However, Atlético must hurry – Liverpool are also keeping an eye on the situation. The price tag is around 80 million euros, a manageable sum for Metropolitano once the Álvarez money is in place.

Atlético’s exit plan in attack

In addition to Álvarez, Atlético are planning to sell Alexander Sorloth and Thiago Almada to free up additional funds and salary space. This will give room to register Barcola before the pre-season.

The next few weeks will be crucial. Atlético are determined to do everything possible to secure Barcola – and build a fearsome attack that can bring titles back to the Metropolitano.

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