Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen are in active negotiations over a €25m fee for Alejandro Grimaldo (30), according to transfer reporter Matteo Moretto. Personal terms between the player and Los Colchoneros are understood to be fully agreed, with Grimaldo having accepted a contract running to 2029 with an option for a further year – meaning the outstanding question is purely one of club-to-club valuation.
The gap between the clubs
The €25m figure represents a significant upward shift from where this saga began. As previously covered on Football Espana, Atlético’s opening position centred on a fixed fee in the €10-13m range, with add-ons intended to bridge any gap. That approach did not satisfy Leverkusen, and the negotiations have since moved onto substantially different terms.
The valuation picture remains contested. German outlet Kicker, echoed by Bulinews, report that Leverkusen have set a minimum asking price of around €30m and are prepared to retain Grimaldo – and absorb the risk of a future free transfer – if bids fall short. Marca has cited an intermediate figure of €15m as the amount required to cover the remaining contract value, while ESPN report the anticipated fee as being closer to €10m if agreement is eventually reached. The spread across those accounts is wide enough to suggest that a precise number has not yet been locked, and that Moretto’s €25m reflects the current zone of active discussion rather than a settled position.
Leverkusen’s position and the contract arithmetic
Leverkusen’s stance is underpinned by straightforward leverage: Grimaldo signed from Benfica on a free transfer in summer 2023, made vice-captain, and his deal runs to 2027. The club did not pay an acquisition fee, yet they possess a player who delivered double-digit assists across all competitions in his debut Bundesliga season and whose market value has risen sharply since arrival. Accepting a figure near €10m would represent a significant discount on that trajectory.
The German club’s broader context matters here. Reports from Germany stress that proceeds from a Grimaldo sale are earmarked to finance Leverkusen’s squad rebuild following major outgoings this summer – which explains both the reluctance to accept a cut-price figure and the willingness to sell at all. A club holding a 2027 contract on a player of this quality would ordinarily have little incentive to move; the need to recycle funds is what has made the negotiation possible. Notably, Atlético are pursuing Aleix García from the same Leverkusen squad at a similarly reported €25m valuation, which gives some indication of how the Madrid club is calibrating its summer outlay.
What this means for Atletico Madrid’s summer
For Simeone’s side, Grimaldo addresses a specific structural need. His elite crossing, set-piece delivery, and capacity to function as an auxiliary winger within a back four represent a genuine upgrade at left-back, and the player’s international pedigree with Spain adds a proven high-level dimension to that profile. The reported contract offer – to 2029 with an option – signals that Atlético view this as a long-term acquisition rather than a short-term fix.
As previously covered on Football Espana, personal terms have been in place for some time, with the player’s agreement described as total. That the deal has not yet closed despite that alignment reflects the difficulty of meeting Leverkusen’s valuation threshold – a threshold the Bundesliga champions have shown no indication of softening under pressure.
What next for Atletico Madrid and Grimaldo?
With Grimaldo on international duty with Spain, further concrete movement is likely dependent on whether Atlético submit a formal written offer that meaningfully closes the distance to Leverkusen’s demands. Several reports from the Spanish side suggest optimism that a deal can be concluded within days; the German framing is more cautious, treating the outcome as genuinely uncertain.
The next meaningful development will be whether Atlético move from their current negotiating position to a revised bid that bridges the gap to Leverkusen’s €30m threshold, and whether the German club decide that certainty at €25m is preferable to the compounding risk of holding a player into the final phase of his contract.
