As: Almada hopes to join Atlético Madrid. Benfica has basically withdrawn from the competition. | Correa | Benfica team | Madrid竞技 | Diego Simeone | Daily News | Manchester United Tottenham

Live Sports News 7/15: According to AS newspaper, Almada is seeking to join Atlético Madrid. Benfica has almost given up the competition. 

Atletico Madrid regards Almada as the top substitute for Angel Correa. This 24-year-old attacker perfectly meets all the requirements - his courage, dribbling skills, shooting ability, imagination and talent - which are the hallmarks of the No. 10 position in the Atlético team. 

Almada, Correa and De Paul share the agent. The former has joined Tiger University, while the latter is getting closer to a transfer to Miami International. If Almada joins Atlético Madrid, he will form a trident with Alvarez and Giuliano-Simone, recreating the youthful forward line that Argentina's national team created for the 2026 World Cup. This Botafogo player has represented the Argentina senior national team in 10 matches and scored 4 goals. Every time he played, he showed his best form for Scalon. In the last four international matches, he was the starter and had a good partnership with Alvarez. He also provided an assist against Chile. 

Originally, his next destination seemed to be Benfica, a top Portuguese club that has been actively handling transfer affairs for several weeks and is close to reaching an agreement with Botafogo. Last season, Almada was loaned to Lyon, but the financial problems of the French club prevented them from buying him out. 

However, Botafogo's high asking price of 40 million euros, Almada's preference for Atlético Madrid, and Felix's return have changed the situation. Now Benfica is almost out of the competition. They believe that after the Inter Milan's involvement, they have no chance. Nottingham Forest and Zenit also have an interest in Almada, but the player has publicly expressed his desire to play for Simeone. Many years ago, he openly admitted that joining Atlético Madrid was his dream and had even taken photos wearing the Atlético Madrid jersey. 

Almada is not a traditional striker. He can play as a second striker or play on the wing, but he is better at moving back to the midfield to receive and organize the play. He possesses the dribbling skills like Angel Correa that allow him to maneuver in narrow spaces. This is precisely the trait that Atlético needed after losing its single-point explosion ability. His breakthrough, sprinting, defensive contribution, and overall vision all perfectly fit into Simeone's offensive system. This signing continues Atlético's policy of promoting youth. 

Atletico Madrid will not accept Botafogo's asking price of 40 million euros, but is willing to open its wallet for Almada, who is valued at 25 million euros in the transfer market. Besides strengthening the forward line, Atletico Madrid is also focusing on signing defenders. The original target was Cristian Romero, but the purchase was rejected by Tottenham. After that, their attention has turned to potential defenders such as Incaipi, Hansko, Lukumi, Inasio and Scalvini. In both attack and defense, Atletico Madrid is undergoing a comprehensive upgrade.