Atletico Madrid begin rebuild by confirming three signings

In a summer of transition, Atletico Madrid complete the signings of two other players alongside Joao Felix.

With the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Diego Godin, Filipe Luis, Juanfran, and Rodrigo all departing, this summer was going to be an important one for Atletico Madrid. Their squad is in the middle of the rebuild but they’ve gone out and announced the signings of three players, all who will likely play a significant role next season.

Of course, the biggest name to come out is Joao Felix. Benfica had confirmed that they received an offer from Atletico for their star forward and were mulling the offer. Apparently the offer was too good to pass up as Atletico confirmed that they signed Felix and introduced him with a nice intro package on their social media account.

According to the BBC, the deal is for €126 million, making the 19-year-old the fifth most expensive signing only behind Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Philippe Coutinho, and Ousmane Dembele. He signed a seven-year contract meaning he will be at the club until 2026. Atletico and Benfica also reached an agreement that allows the Spanish side to pay his fee in installments.

Felix turned heads this season bursting onto the scenes during the Europa League. He and Luka Jovic were the two young standouts and now both will be playing in Madrid and as rivals.

But Joao Felix was not the only player signed by Atletico.

Alongside him, the club also announced the signings of defender Felipe Monteiro and midfielder Hector Herrera, both from Porto.

In their press release, Atletico confirmed that Monteiro was signed to a three-year deal and that a deal between them and Porto had been reached in the last days of May. They tout the Brazilians accomplishments both in Brazil and during his time in Portugal. On paper, he is likely to be the replacement for Godin. Marca reported back in May that they paid €20 million thus making him the most expensive defender in club history.

His teammate at Porto, Hector Herrera, was another long-rumored signing that finally came to fruition. It’s one of the reasons why the Mexican decided not to participate in the Gold Cup with Mexico in order to get his future sorted. Herrera’s signing coincided with Rodrigo leaving the club and signing with Manchester City.

ESPN report that the player is arriving on a free transfer from Porto and while he’s not a like-for-like in terms of replacing Rodrigo, he is a very good midfielder who can help out in the attack as well as defensively. For his part, Herrera was very happy to be joining a club of Atletico’s stature.

https://twitter.com/HHerreramex/status/1146445427891421186

This Atletico Madrid will look drastically different from seasons past. With a longtime stalwarts departing, they are entering a crucial moment for their future. Real Madrid have already gone out and spent and Barcelona are on the verge of doing the same. Atletico need to keep up and maintain the challenge they’ve posed ever since Simeone took over.

Signing Joao Felix gives them a player not just for the here-and-now, but for the future as well. Add in the veteran presence of a Felipe Monteiro and Hector Herrera, and Atletico’s season is shaking up well with a few more signings still on the horizon.