Atletico Madrid finished fourth in La Liga last season. But the club’s Champions League semi-final finish and a historic run to the Copa del Rey final kept hopes alive for the success of a revived project under Diego Simeone.
Club legend Antoine Griezmann has left the club to join the MLS, and Atletico are now evolving into a new phase with new players at the helm. Alejandro Grimaldo and Morten Hjulmand have been announced as new Atletico Madrid signings for next season so far.
Atletico Madrid have now gone five years without winning silverware, their longest drought under Diego Simeone. Atleti have spent €418.95 million in the previous two transfer windows in an attempt to revamp their squad. They brought in Julián Álvarez, Conor Gallagher, Robin Le Normand, Alexander Sorloth, Alex Baena, and Ademola Lookman, along with several others as new Madrid players.
The 2026/27 season’s new Atletico Madrid signings, Hjulmand and Grimaldo, are also part of the same project that is in place to bring trophies back to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
Morten Hjulmand is Now a Colchonero
Morten Hjulmand arrives at Metropolitano from Sporting CP for a transfer fee of €45m. The Danish midfielder served as the captain of Sporting CP for two years and made 141 appearances for the club in three years.
At Sporting CP, Hjulmand won two league titles and a Portuguese Cup. Thus, the 27-year-old defensive midfielder brings a winning mentality and provides leadership experience to a new-looking Atletico side.
What Do the Stats Say About the New Atletico Madrid Signing?
Hjulmand is known for his physical ability, brilliant ball-winning attributes and game intelligence. For the 2025/26 season, he ranked in the 94th percentile for duel-winning percentage in Liga Portugal.
He had 2.17 tackles per 90 minutes, which placed him above 80% of midfielders. The new Atletico Madrid signing also averaged 0.85 interceptions per 90, which is decent when playing for a possession-dominant side like Sporting CP.
Hjulmand has good ball-playing abilities as well, which often go under the radar. Last season, he had an average of 0.26 expected assists per 90 minutes, which ranked him above 93% of the midfielders in the league. The Sporting midfielder also had a pass completion rate of 91.03% in the 2025/26 season.
All these statistics make a strong case for him being a natural fit in Simeone’s side. However, at Atletico Madrid he will face competition from Koke, Pablo Barrios and Johnny Cardoso and would need to fight to cement his place in the team.
Alejandro Grimaldo Returns to Spain
Alejandro Grimaldo is the other new Atletico Madrid signing that has been confirmed so far. The 30-year-old Spanish left-back arrives from Bayer Leverkusen for a transfer fee of €25m.
During his three-year stint at BayArena, the Spaniard earned a name for himself due to his outstanding attacking prowess. He was a key component of Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen that went unbeaten to a domestic double and reached the final of the Europa League in 2023/24.
Grimaldo has the potential to provide the stability that Atletico so much need in the left-back position. Atleti have been struggling to find a quality player who can perform consistently in the position ever since Filipe Luis left in 2019. They signed Matteo Ruggeri last season, and he delivered some good performances in a couple of big games but lacked consistency in La Liga.
What Do the Stats Say About the New Atletico Madrid Signing?
Grimaldo netted 12 goals and provided 11 assists last season. Grimaldo’s qualities lie in his outstanding passing and crossing abilities.
Last season, he put in an average of 6.71 crosses per 90 minutes, which ranked him in the 98th percentile in the league. Similarly, he had 57.24 successful passes per 90 minutes, which ranked him better than 91% of the fullbacks in the Bundesliga. Grimaldo also had an outstanding average of 2.46 key passes completed per 90.
Grimaldo contributes a lot to the attack, but he has defensive shortcomings as well. The new Atletico Madrid signing won 3.85 ground duels per 90 last season and was ranked in the 33rd percentile for this metric. Similarly, he won 0.19 aerial duels per 90 and was at the 15th percentile in the league.
He also ranked in the 14th percentile for being dribbled past per 90 last season. Leverkusen managed his defensive vulnerabilities by playing a back five system, which allowed him attacking freedom without focusing too much on defence.
Return of an Old but Familiar Back Five System
Simeone is also familiar with the back five system and has used it several times in the past. The new Atletico Madrid signings of Hjulmand and Grimaldo provide him with the flexibility to revert to that style.
Besides that, Atletico is also in talks with Paris Saint-Germain for Lee Kang-in, who is good in central areas and can play in a back five system. Thus, the new Atletico Madrid signings can lead Simeone to reintroduce an old tactic at the Metropolitano.
Final Verdict
Hjulmand and Grimaldo have the abilities that are core to Simeone’s playing style. Both these players have their weaknesses as well, but Simeone knows how to deploy his players, and if he uses them correctly, they can play a crucial role in the team.
If Atletico Madrid manages to keep its star players intact and settle these new signings with them, they can succeed and bring titles back to Atletico de Madrid.
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