There was a relative sense of quiet about Latin America’s transfer window until the final days. While the Premier League window closed on Tuesday, September 1st, many Americas region leagues didn’t close their transfer window until Friday, September 11th. In the final 72 hours, we saw some headline making moves across the region, and especially in Colombia’s Liga Betplay Dimayor as three national team legends agreed to contracts to return to their domestic league, including James Rodriguez, a move that instantly makes him the most recognizable name in the league.
James Rodriguez Is Back: Atlético Nacional Pulls Off a Bombazo Move
James Rodriguez is the most polarizing Colombian footballer-and now he’s the most polarizing footballer in Colombia, as the free agent #10 opted to sign with the country’s biggest club, Atletico Nacional in Medellin.
Now 35, Rodriguez last played in Colombia in 2008 for his youth club, Envigado FC, which is also located in the Medellin metro. 18 years later he returns to Colombia, having spent a decade and a half with the national team, starring in multiple World Cups and Copa America’s, but also having a mercurial club career across Europe, South America, and most recently Liga MX and MLS.
From 2014-20, James was on two of the biggest clubs in the world, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, after a year at Everton in the Premier League, things began to flatline for the talented but at times unmotivated footballer. James struggled to fit in at Sao Paulo, Rayo Vallecano, Leon in Liga MX, and had a brief run of games with Minnesota United to prepare for the World Cup.
After Colombia exited that tournament in the round of 16, a tournament where he started but didn’t deliver significant magic, he was a free agent. There were rumors he was set to sign for a Serie B side in Italy, but before the transfer window was shut he settled on returning home, signing a lucrative contract to be the new #10 at Atletico Nacional.
James’ return is the biggest signing in Colombia since former national team striker Radamel Falcao agreed to join Millonarios in the summer of 2024. Despite massive fanfare, and the Falcao jersey in Millonarios blue a ubiquitous sight across Bogota, Falcao ended up being a bench player, and was unable to lift his club to glory. James hopes the story is better in Medellin, and he can give the Verdolaga faithful moments to savor.
Atletico Nacional are not a struggling side in need of a boost, rather they are 4-0-1 to start the season, they hold the Copa Colombia from 2025, and reached the most recent league final, falling to Junior over two legs this Summer.
This is the team of Alfredo Morelos (ex-Rangers), Matheus Uribe (ex-Porto), and Franco Armani (ex-River Plate and a Libertadores winner with Nacional). It’s a club that under manager Lucas Gonzalez, has seen renewed form from winger Marlos Moreno, while also developing young players like Juan Rengifo and Neider Parra that will soon be on the move in the transfer market themselves.
James is joining a team with established and defined chemistry, and he hasn’t always been the best in the locker room. He arrives taking the #10 jersey off Edwin Cardona, a talented but at times maligned attacking midfielder who is 33 and had stints at Monterrey and Boca Juniors, along with the national team.
While he will be well compensated by the club, and will drive jersey sales, and ticket sales to the stadium, in a league that still relies very much on filling the stadium to turn a profit, only winning the league, and returning to the Copa Libertadores will be considered a success for James at Atletico Nacional, this is the most demanding club in Colombia, and the supporters won’t spare him due to his fame from the national team.
Speaking at his club presentation, James told the media:
“Everyone knows what this club is: it’s massive, it’s unique. To me, looking at it from the outside, it’s like a childhood Real Madrid. It’s a huge club, and this jersey carries real weight—it weighs a lot, and I like feeling that.”
“I’ve played for big clubs before, and I know what it takes to be at big clubs: you have to perform every single day, even in training.”
The Clasico Paisa against Juan Fernando Quintero Looms for James
The matchup between the two grandes of Medellin, Atletico Nacional and Independiente Medellin is always one that captures imaginations in the city and across the country. Now that matchup has a new angle to analyze, as the Colombian national team’s two #10’s, James and Juan Fernando Quintero will face off. Quintero joined Medellin after the World Cup and they sit near the top of the league table. Now James is at Nacional. The clubs will face off in a single elimination match in Medellin in the Copa Colombia quarterfinals, along with their scheduled league clash on October 25th.
Independiente Medellin made their own intriguing signing on deadline day. Former Colombian national team striker Jackson Martinez signed as a backup striker at age 39. What makes the move notable is Martinez has been retired for six years due to chronic ankle injuries. Having last played for Medellin from 2004 to 2009, Martinez believes he has one more run in him to try to secure the club a trophy.
Juan Cuadrado Joins Millonarios
The third splash signing to close Colombia’s window was Juan Cuadrado to Millonarios. At 38, the winger has played in Italy since 2009, most recently with Pisa, and he had a 13 year career with the national team until 2023. Cuadrado is a player who can still produce thrills and will likely find things easier in the Liga Dimayor, a league with less defensive pressure.
Manager Alberto Gamero said that Cuadrado should debut on September 19th in Bogota against Boyaca Chico. Millonarios are considered one of Colombia’s biggest clubs with 16 league titles, but their last title came in 2023 and the pressure has been on for a while for the blue ballet to produce better results.
Elias Montiel Joins Atlas, Tigres Makes Two Signings in Liga MX
It’s been clear for months that Atlas FC in Guadalajara has ambitions of winning their first Liga MX title since 2022, the signing of Elias Montiel, a 20-year-old midfielder developed by Pachuca, is just the latest sign of the club’s willingness to spend to win. Soy Futbol reported that Atlas will pay Pachuca at least 12 million to add Montiel as a midfield starter for Hernan Crespo’s side. Montiel is considered one of Mexico’s most promising young talents, but there is concern his development had stalled at Pachuca.
Atlas also has Colombian international goalkeeper Camilo Vargas and paid 6 million to bring Luis Esteves in as an attacking midfielder from Portugal. While Pachuca did make the 2025 Club World Cup, they remain a mid-table side in Liga MX focused on academy development. They are competing for the Liga MX top 8 playoff spots at the moment, while Atlas is 5th in the current table.
Tigres made two late signings in a bid to save their season, sitting 15th on the table ahead of Saturday’s Clasico Regio against 12th place Monterrey, manager Victor Vucetich moved for Emiliano Gomez, one of the key players at Puebla, and Guillermo ‘”Memote” Martinez from Pumas, who was on Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad. While Martinez is a crafty veteran striker with a knack for scoring goals, Gomez, just 24, represents a player who can build a long-term career at Tigres after scoring 14 goals for Puebla over the last two years as the key attacking midfielder.
Regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s Clasico Regio, Tigres is continuing the process of regenerating their squad after players like Andre-Pierre Gignac retired.
Club America, the league leaders in Liga MX, signed centerbacks Santiago Mingo (Bahia) and Santiago Bueno this window, with Bueno joining on loan from Wolves. Bueno, another Uruguayan, had long spells with Girona and Wolverhampton, and has 8 caps for the national team. Mingo is a 25-year-old Argentine who came through Boca Juniors youth system. For Club America, it will be the Santiago show in the back.
Hakim Ziyech to Botafogo, Santos Adds Coutinho to Join Relegation Fight
33-year-old former Morocco international Hakim Ziyech has joined Botafogo at the close of the window. The midfielder will try to rejuvenate his career, as he went off the beaten path after spending three years at Chelsea from 2020 to 23. Ziyech becomes another notable non-South American player in the Brasileiro, and is joining a side that is 14th on the league table, six points clear of relegation at this moment.
Fighting relegation, Santos agreed to sign Philippe Coutinho, who last played at Vasco da Gama but left the club in February. While Coutinho has still shown flashes of brilliance in his late career, the contract is only three months, and is clearly a bid to spark Santos’ attack, with the main man Neymar Jr. injured. In a highly competitive league, the signing may not be sufficient.
The Last Word
The final days of Latin America’s transfer window produced a surprising collection of headline moves, led by James Rodriguez’s return to Colombia with Atletico Nacional. Juan Cuadrado joined Millonarios, while Jackson Martinez came out of retirement for Independiente Medellin. In Liga MX, Elias Montiel moved to Atlas and Tigres added Emiliano Gomez and Guillermo Martinez. Elsewhere, Hakim Ziyech joined Botafogo and Philippe Coutinho returned to Santos. None of these moves are risk-free, but for many teams, deadline day meant renewed hope.
Main Photo Credit: Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
