OFFICIAL: Monaco sign Gelson Martins permanently from Atleti until 2024

AS Monaco confirm the permanent signing of Gelson Martins from Atletico Madrid until 2024.

Of Cape Verde heritage, Martins made 125 first-team appearances for Sporting CP before joining Atleti in a controversial deal last summer.

The 23-year-old initially moved to the Wanda Metropolitano last summer as a ‘free agent’, according to their website, despite Sporting insisting they were due a fee of €45m for the player.

Reports in Portugal had subsequently claimed that Sporting are considering taking Atleti to court over the deal and say they are entitled to a whopping €110m in compensation.

However, Atleti are said to have agreed a €22.5m deal with the Portuguese club and will now sell the player on a permanent basis to Monaco, with previous reports saying a deal would be priced at €30m.

Gelson had failed to settle quickly in the Spanish capital, making just one league start in an underwhelming stint before joining Monaco on loan in January.

“When I went to Atletico it was with the intention of playing, but it's not easy to get in. My style of play did not fit the ideas of Diego Simeone, because it is a very defensive team,” Martins told Record, as cited by Diario AS.

Martins netted four goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances since joining the Ligue 1 side, helping them to avoid relegation to the second tier.