Sunderland eye £21.7m deal for Atletico Madrid star who was once called ‘clever’ by Lionel Messi
Sunderland are looking to address their creativity concerns in January.
Sunderland’s 3-0 defeat to Brentford put an end to the Black Cats’ five-game unbeaten run in the Premier League on Wednesday.
Enzo Le Fee’s missed penalty proved to be the turning point in a game that Sunderland failed to create much, which has been a theme across the campaign.
The Black Cats are among the worst teams in the league when it comes to the number of chances created, and reports from Spain suggest they are looking to rectify that with the signing of someone who was loved by Lionel Messi.
Thiago Almada linked with Stadium of Light move
Sunderland‘s current form is certainly mixed, and depending on the way you want to look at things, you can come to a very different conclusion.
The Black Cats have lost just one of their last six, but have also won just two of their last 12, with just 10 goals scored.
A lack of creativity has been a big reason behind that failure to pick up wins as of late, with a report from Fichajes stating that the Wearsiders have identified Thiago Almada as a potential option to rectify that.
Almada has failed to establish himself as a regular at Atletico Madrid, and as a result, that has sparked interest from Sunderland, who would have to pay £21.7million to sign him in January.
The 24-year-old has made just 15 appearances for the La Liga outfit this season, with two goals and one assist to his name.
However, while his numbers from the current campaign don’t stand out, the praise he received from Messi back in 2022 certainly will.
- Read more: Sunderland’s success to benefit Championship promotion hopefuls as transfer talks underway
What did Lionel Messi say about Thiago Almada?
Almada may not be a regular for Atletico Madrid, though his game time for Argentina has increased significantly over the last 12 months.
He made his international debut back in 2022 and has since gone on to make 12 first-team appearances for his country, with four goals and two assists to his name in that time.
After his debut, Messi praised Almada and shared the attributes that he has to offer.
“Thiago plays loose,” he said. “He’s very fast, and he has a lot of one-on-one ability. He’s very clever, and he’s not afraid of anything. He goes at you.”
Almada’s most recent appearance for Argentina came back in November, when he started their 2-0 win over Angola.
Via FotMob, the midfielder completed 90 per cent of his passes in the game, while also creating one chance.