According to Marca, although the winter transfer window is still a month and a half away from opening, Atletico Madrid has clear priorities: to sign a left-back to compete with Grimaldo, and sporting director Mateo Alemany is working to advance this.
Atletico Madrid failed to complete the transfer of Tagliafico last summer. The starting left-back, who won the 2022 Qatar World Cup with Argentina, had agreed to everything with Atletico Madrid on transfer deadline day, with only the final step remaining. Although Alemany had reached an agreement with Olympique Lyonnais and Tagliafico himself on the terms, the Civitas Metropolitano ultimately did not give the green light.
At the time, Tagliafico's arrival depended on the departures of Gimenez, Lemar, Carlos Martin, and Obed Vargas. While the first two eventually left (Carlos Martin went to Croatia after the domestic transfer window closed), the operations did not fully materialize as Atletico Madrid had hoped. Therefore, after evaluating the situation, Atletico Madrid chose not to pursue Tagliafico's transfer and instead registered academy center-back Dani Martínez into the first team, who was later converted to a left-back to serve as Grimaldo's backup.
Months later, this temporary solution increasingly highlighted the need to sign a specialized left-back. Alemany has continued to scout the market during this period. Tagliafico was an ideal option at the time due to his rich experience, willingness to join Atletico Madrid (the last-minute collapse of the transfer hit him hard), and a salary that would fit into the team's wage structure. Now, Alemany's scouting scope has expanded to more options.
Within LaLiga, Atletico Madrid has a transfer lead. The club has made it clear that the target will not join as a starter, but rather as a player who can enhance competition with Grimaldo and provide reliable rotation, avoiding Simeone being forced to move Dávid Hancko to the flank. Alemany is looking for a reliable and low-cost player.
Sergi Cardona fits this profile. His contract with Villarreal expires in June, so a January departure would not entail excessive investment, which is one of the factors being considered by the Civitas Metropolitano. Another factor is that, at 27, he has the maturity to establish himself in the top league. He has made over a hundred appearances in four LaLiga seasons (one with Las Palmas), plus 12 Champions League appearances with goals.
Another factor that has led Atletico Madrid to include him on their agenda is his attacking style, similar to Grimaldo. His statistics at Villarreal can be used as a reference: 4 goals and 12 assists in 90 games, although this season he has rotated with Carlos Romero. Furthermore, he was one of the flag bearers for Las Palmas' most recent promotion, which caught Atletico Madrid's attention at the time, and now Atletico Madrid has once again kept him on their shortlist as a potential option.