Manchester City appear to be looking at a possible summer move to sign Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada.
What’s the latest Man City transfer news on Thiago Almada?
Pep Guardiola and those at the Etihad have made a start on their transfer business shortly after completing a historic treble last season.
Midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been confirmed as the first addition of the summer and looks set to replace Ilkay Gundogan, joining from Premier League rivals Chelsea. Kovacic could soon be joined by compatriot and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with reports suggesting that a move to Manchester is on the cards, with personal terms already agreed.
After Gvardiol, attentions could once again turn to midfield, but this time in a more advanced role. Talks have been held with the agent of Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga ahead of a possible move, and another young attacking midfielder in Almada appears to be of interest to the Sky Blues.
According to Argentine reporter Bruno Gonzalez Garcia, both City and rivals Manchester United have seemingly made an approach to Atlanta for Almada. Taking to Twitter on Monday he said:
“Manchester United and Manchester City consulted Atlanta United for Thiago Almada.”
Who is Thiago Almada?
Almada is primarily an attacking midfielder who can also play on the wing if required and is under contract until 2025. Sponsored by Nike and valued at a career-high €20m by Transfermarkt, the Argentine won the World Cup with his country in Qatar last year, although he only played in six minutes of action.
However, he appears to be a star of the future, as he was named as one of five rising stars to watch in the MLS in 2023 and has already made 49 senior appearances for Atlanta, scoring 15 times and registering 16 assists.
Almada has even caught the eye of Lionel Messi, who heaped praise on the 22-year-old last year, labelling him as a “very fast” and “clever” player.
“Thiago is very fresh. He’s a very fast player who can play 1v1. He's clever and isn’t afraid of anything.”
Should he complete a move to the Etihad, he would provide Guardiola with another versatile option in the final third who can pay out wide or in behind a centre-forward. Therefore, he could provide competition to the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Jack Grealish, Phil Foden and many more both this season and in years to come, as you’d expect he will only improve on his already impressive game.
As per FBref, Almada ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for touches, passes attempted, carries, progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showing how he could fit in perfectly with Guardiola’s fluid attacking system.
City are once again set for another busy domestic campaign, playing in four separate competitions, and should Bernardo Silva leave as has been speculated, Almada could be viewed as a possible long-term replacement for the Portugal international, however, City may need to pip their closest rivals to a deal relatively quickly, making this one to watch.