Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever

La Liga usually used to be all about the rivalry between

and

in the past. But things have changed quite a lot since those days as we see other teams challenging for the top spot in the Spanish top-flight.

One such team is obviously none other than Atletico Madrid, who have seriously given both Real Madrid and Barcelona a run for their money in the league thanks to Diego Simeone’s brilliant management. But great tactics are not enough to win titles and a successful team needs to splash the cash to sign great players with incredible chemistry.

That is why all of the

Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever

have cost the Spanish giants millions of Euros and none of them have come cheap. Surely many of you are also eager to find out more about the most expensive Atletico Madrid transfers of all time. That is why we have provided everything you need to know about these costly footballers and their career history so far. So without further ado, let’s see who is on this prestigious list of footballers.

Most expensive Atletico Madrid signings ever

From Kevin Gameiro, Jackson Martinez and Radamel Falcao, to Deigo Costa, Antoine Griezmann and Joao Felix, there are some great names on the list of most expensive signings in Atletico Madrid history. Here is everything you should know about their respective careers.

Kevin Gameiro

• Transfer fee: €32M

We have seen so many great strikers and center-forwards grace the pitch donning Atletico Madrid’s jersey throughout the years. From Luis Suarez to Radamel Falcao and David Villa, there have been many incredible goal poachers in the club’s squad so far and Kevin Gameiro is no exception on this list. Even though Gameiro did not get to deliver much on his promises as one of

Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever

, he has still managed to have an illustrious career so far.

The Frenchman rose to prominence at Sevilla after joining the Spanish club from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. He managed to score 67 goals and provide 17 assists in 145 appearances for Sevilla, which was more than enough to convince

to splash somewhere around €32 million to acquire his services in 2016. Having joined the Rojiblancos as one of Atletico Madrid’s all-Time most expensive signings, Gameiro went on to display his phenomenal form throughout his spell at the Spanish side.

But even though his overall stats was not bad at all, his stay at the Madrid-based club did not last long as he only spent two seasons with Atletico before joining

for €16 million in 2018.

The former France international made a total of 82 appearances for the Rojiblancos and managed to score 27 goals and provide 11 assists in the process. Obviously these stats were not up to Atleti’s standards as every top club in Europe expects a lot more from their center-forwards. At least Gameiro did not leave Atletico empty-handed as he won the 2017-18 Europa League under Simeone’s management.

Jackson Martinez

• Transfer fee: €35M

Even though the whopping €35 million transfer fee that the Rojiblancos paid

to acquire Jackson Martinez is not the highest fee paid for the Colombian striker, it still put him on the list of

Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever

. Martinez impressed everyone with his incredible performance at Porto, for whom he made a total of 136 appearances and somehow managed to score a phenomenal 92 goals while also providing 13 assists in the process.

Having become the Portuguese top-flight’s top goal scorer for three consecutive seasons, Martinez was clearly the cake everyone wanted a piece of. That is when Atleti came with a bag full of money and offered €35 million for his services in 2015. While the center-forward was believed to be a lethal striker with a lot of potential, the Colombia international simply wasn’t good enough as he failed to impress anyone with his dismal performance at the La Liga side.

With a month-long ankle injury that sidelined him during an important part of the season, Jackson Martinez fell hard during his first and only season at Atletico Madrid. After only 22 appearances and 3 goals, the former Porto star chose an easy life over a glorious come-back and joined Guangzhou Evergrande for a massive €42 million in 2016. As one of Atletico Madrid’s all-Time most expensive signings, the center-forward went on to spend the rest of his career at the Chinese side or out on loan at Portuguese club Portimonense.

Alvaro Morata

• Transfer fee: €35M

Few players in the world of football have moved around as much as Alvaro Morata and even fewer have managed to play for so many top club in Europe. That is what makes the Spanish striker’s journey so far so interesting since he has graced the pitch at so many incredible clubs such as Real Madrid,

,

and of course Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard has always been misunderstood and underrated despite delivering consistent performances more often than not.

If he weren’t such a good striker, why would such world-class clubs pay hefty fees to sign him in the first place? Morata began his career as a professional football player after graduating from Real Madrid’s youth academy in 2010. He then joined the club’s senior side in 2013 and earned his first big-money move in 2014 as he joined Juventus for €20 million. After returning to Real Madrid two seasons later and after spending a not-so-great couple of seasons at Chelsea, the Spain international went on to spend some time out on loan Atletico Madrid.

He proceeded to impress everyone at the club with his outstanding performances as he even scored against his former side Real Madrid in La Liga, even though the goal was eventually ruled out for offside. Morata managed to convince Diego Simeone to make him one of the

most expensive signings in Atletico Madrid history

as the club paid €35 million to make his move permanent in 2020. Of course his luck didn’t last under Simeone’s management as he has since moved back to Juventus and will be spending the rest of the season on loan with the Italian side.

Rodrigo de Paul

• Transfer fee: €35M

Rodrigo de Paul is not only one of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever thanks to his €35 million transfer fee, but is also one of the club’s most recent arrivals. He joined the Spanish giants in the 2021 summer transfer window and is currently acting as a replacement for Saul Niguez. The unbelievably versatile midfielder is able to play in almost any position in the middle of the park and on the frontlines, which certainly adds to his value in the market.

The Argentinian impressed everyone during his spell at Udienese in the Serie A as he somehow managed to score 34 goals and provide 37 assists in 184 appearances for the Italian side. These stats were more than enough to attract the attention of several big clubs in Europe, one of which was Diego Simeone’s side. De Paul became one of

Atletico Madrid’s all-Time most expensive signings

as

received a whopping fee of €35 million from Atleti a couple of months ago.

The former Valencia midfielder has already played in more than 10 games for the Rojiblancos and is currently acting as a rotation-based midfielder, who either gets subbed off or subbed on in the second half of most games.

The Argentina international is yet to score his first goal for his new club but has already managed to provide a single assist for his teammates. Having won the 2020 Copa America with his national team alongside the likes of Di Maria and Messi, we will have to wait and see how de Paul performs as one of the most expensive Atletico Madrid signings ever.

Vitolo

• Transfer fee: €35.5M

Next on our list of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever is Victor Machin Perez, also known as Vitolo. The Spaniard winger is incredibly versatile and used to be an integral part of Diego Simeone’s tactics back in the day. He arrived at the club from Sevilla for more than €35 million back in 2017 and quickly went on to spend half-a-season on loan at Las Palmas. Vitolo’s phenomenal performance out on loan earned him an early call-back to Atleti as he was finally ready to take on a more serious role at the club.

He quickly became a vital part of his manager’s tactics as he earned his spot in the starting-XI. Throughout the years, as one of the

most expensive Atletico Madrid signings ever

, Vitolo helped his club win the La Liga, the Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup as he made a total of 101 appearances and managed to bag himself 7 goals and 9 assists in the process.

Perhaps his performance at Atletico Madrid could never reach the level he was in during his spell at

, but he still managed to make an impact as a rotation-based substitute. Originally a Las Palmas youth product, Vitolo is currently spending his time out on loan at Getafe and is currently sidelined due to a muscle injury.

Radamel Falcao

• Transfer fee: €40M

Colombian legend Radamel Falcao is simply one of the best things that could have happened to Atletico Madrid. He single-handedly led the Rojiblancos to several key victories and numerous trophies throughout his relatively short spell with the Spanish giants. Falcao became one of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever when he decided to switch clubs and join the Spaniards from FC Porto for a massive transfer fee of €40 million back in 2011.

His arrival kickstarted Diego Simeone’s golden era at Atletico Madrid as they managed to win the Europa League, the 2012-13 La Liga and the UEFA Super Cup. The Colombia international was truly phenomenal during those two seasons as he managed to score a remarkable 70 goals in 91 appearances. He also managed to add 9 assists to his tally and became a club legend with his outstanding football.

Few players get to play for as many world-class clubs as Falcao has throughout his career. Other than being on the list of Atletico Madrid most expensive transfers ever, Falcao has played for Porto,

,

, Chelsea and Galatasaray. He is currently playing for Rayo Vallecano and has already managed to drop everybody’s jaw with his stellar displays. He has already managed to score 4 goals in 7 appearances, which is incredible for the 35-year-old striker.

Antoine Griezmann

• Transfer fee: €54M

There are some instances throughout history in which we get to see world-class players become legends at their respective clubs and then move on to ruin everything they have built with a single wrong move. That is exactly what footballers such as Philippe Coutinho and Antoine Griezmann have gone through in recent years. While the Brazilian winger fell hard after moving from Liverpool to Barcelona, Griezmann basically ruined his career by switching sides and joining the Blaugrana from Atletico Madrid for a whopping €120 million in 2019.

The France international initially joined the Rojiblancos from Real Sociedad for a massive €54 million in 2014. As one of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever, Griezmann took little to no time to become an integral part of Simeone’s squad and turned into his team’s main goal scorer in his very first season. The versatile forward made more than 200 appearances for Atleti and scored more than 130 goals during his first spell with the Madrid-based club, which turned him into an absolute icon amongst the club’s supporters.

However, a single wrong move to Atletico’s league rivals Barcelona changed everything for the center-forward as he was no longer the beloved hero Atletico’s fans used to cherish. Even after his dismal display at Barcelona and his regretful return to his former club on loan, the 2018 World Cup winner is yet to be welcomed back with open arms as Atletico Madrid fans are still pretty hurt by the Frenchman’s actions.

The 30-year-old might not have the chance to make amends, but it will take a long time before someone could replace him on the list of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever.

Diego Costa

• Transfer fee: €60M

Few players can represent Atletico Madrid as much as Diego Costa. The harsh and tough spirit of the club truly lives on inside the Spanish striker and he is an absolute icon of a footballer for Rojiblancos. We all adored the days Costa used to run the show against the likes of Sergio Ramos and Pepe in the Madrid Derby under Diego Simeone’s orders. Even though those days are now gone and we might never get to see Costa and Ramos clash once again, we can still reminisce about the past.

The Spaniard is not only an iconic footballer, but also one of Atletico Madrid most expensive signings ever. It is quite surprising to know that the center-forward actually arrived at the Madrid-based club for €1 million from

in 2010. After spending a season on loan at

, Costa returned to Atletico to become their main striker in 2012. He went on to help his side win the league title above Real Madrid and Barcelona on two occasions as he made history as one of the club’s best strikers.

However, before winning the 2020-21 La Liga title as one of the

most expensive Atletico Madrid transfers of all time

, Costa joined Chelsea for €38 million in 2014. He went on to win two Premier League titles before returning to Atletico for a massive €60 million transfer fee, which aptly put him amongst the Atletico Madrid most expensive transfers ever.

The Spain international made a total of 216 appearances for the Madrid side and managed to score 83 goals and provide 36 assists in the process, winning two La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League and three UEFA Supercups.

Thomas Lemar

• Transfer fee: €72M

Having joined Monaco from

for only €4 million in 2015, few could have guessed that Thomas Lemar would one day get to be one of

Atletico Madrid most expensive transfers ever

. Lemar joined the Rojiblancos from Monaco for a whopping €72 million in 2018 and has since been a part of a rotation-based policy under Simeone’s management. The incredibly versatile midfielder has enabled his boss to deploy him on a multitude of positions as he is able to perform quite well both in the middle and on the wings.

The 2018 World Cup winner is on the rise as one of the most promising midfielders in the world and is slowly gaining experience at one of the best clubs in Europe. Even though his market value has taken a hit and has dropped drastically over the years, Lemar is still exciting enough to be worth around €40 million in the transfer market. The France international was more of a regular starter and one of the main starting-XI during his spell at Monaco.

Nowadays, however, he doesn’t get as many minutes as before, which could become frustrating as time passes. Of course as one of most expensive Atletico Madrid transfers of all time, Lemar has managed to up his game this season and has already managed to score a couple of goals and provide a set of assists in less than 10 appearances. The Frenchman has managed to win the La Liga and the UEFA Supercup under Diego Simeone and is eyeing more glory with the Rojiblancos in the new season.

Joao Felix

• Transfer fee: €127M

Atletico Madrid used to spend their money wisely by signing already well-known and well-performing stars rather than investing heavily on new talents. That is why everyone was quite shocked when Diego Simeone decided to splash an eye-watering €127 million to sign Joao Felix from Benfica in 2019. It seems that even Atletico were not safe from the heavily inflated transfer market as they too fell victim to this new trend of spending hundreds of millions of Euros on fresh, inexperienced and overhyped footballers.

Of course Joao Felix has not been that bad of a football player as he is, after all, the future both Atletico Madrid and the Portugal national team. However, perhaps the striker might have needed a bit more time before making his first big-money move. Felix was a rising phenomenon at

as he managed to score an outstanding 15 goals in 26 appearances, adding 9 assists to his tally as well, which put him on the radar of top clubs in Europe.

He became one of the most expensive teenagers in the world behind Kylian Mbappe thanks to his massive transfer fee. But while Joao Felix’s French counterpart is thriving as one of the world’s greatest current strikers at Paris Saint-Germain, Felix himself might need a bit more time to adjust his gameplay. The 21-year-old forward is definitely on the right course as he has scored 20 goals In 80 games, providing 11 assists in the process as well. But it will take a lot more to make him a club icon over the years.

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