‘Atleti is a club I like’ – Grimaldo fuels Leverkusen exit rumours
Alejandro Grimaldo revealed Atletico Madrid “is a club I like” as he edges closer to a move to the LaLiga side.
The 30-year-old, whose current deal with Bayer Leverkusen expires in June 2027, is reportedly close to joining Atleti after three years in Germany.
The left-back played a crucial role in the Werkself’s Bundesliga-winning campaign in 2023-24, scoring 10 goals and providing 13 assists in 33 games.
Since joining Leverkusen in 2023, Grimaldo has scored the most goals among defenders in Europe’s top five leagues (30), provided the most (41) and created the most chances (326).
New Leverkusen boss Carles Martinez previously stated his desire to keep Grimaldo at the club, but the defender seems set on a move to the Spanish capital.
Speaking on Ibai Llanos’ Twitch channel, Grimaldo said: “We’ll see what happens in the coming days.
Feels like summer pic.twitter.com/1i5FAXYgMl
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) June 14, 2026
“It’s clear there are talks, but nothing official.
“Atleti is a club I like, I’ve always said that.”
Atleti finished fourth in LaLiga this season, but were 25 points behind champions Barcelona after the final matchday.
Diego Simeone’s side also progressed to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to eventual runners-up Arsenal.
