It seems that the long-running saga of Sørloth is finally coming to an end. Atlético de Madrid wants him and is willing to pay 35 million euros, which is 3 million less than his release clause (though variables might be included to round off the amount).
Alexander Sørloth's move to Villarreal CF was a surprise. There were no rumors or leaks; the club from Plana Baixa stunned its fans with the announcement of the Norwegian's signing in the summer transfer market of 2023. The striker arrived for 10 million euros (his market value was around 12 million at the time) from RB Leipzig, where he had no place.
His performance could not have been better. He scored 23 goals in 34 matches (30 as a starter), missing out on being the top scorer of La Liga by just one goal, a title that ended up with Dovbyk. He was in the Team of the Week 7 times and had a stellar match against Real Madrid, scoring 4 goals. These highlights of Alexander Sørloth’s season have attracted the attention of several teams and doubled his market value to around 25 million euros.
Interestingly, Dovbyk was the striker rumored to complete Atlético de Madrid's squad, but Roma, which was also interested in Sørloth, has moved ahead in the race for the Ukrainian player. Atlético now finds itself without a leading center-forward for the upcoming season following Morata’s departure, so they have decided not to miss this opportunity and are going all out for Sørloth.
Rumors speculate about a 35 million euro deal that might include variables to round the amount to the player's release clause and satisfy Villarreal. The final move is expected soon, as Marcelino wants to have the squad finalized as quickly as possible to start the season on August 19, against Atlético de Madrid.
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