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OFFICIAL: Atlético sign Dávid Hancko

WHAT'S THE STORY?

Feyenoord v PEC Zwolle - Dutch Eredivisie
Photo by Pim Waslander/Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Atlético Madrid have announced an agreement with Feyenoord for the transfer of center-back Dávid Hancko — the sixth signing of a frenetic month at the Metropolitano.

Hancko still has to pass a medical, but the 27-year-old is on his way to Madrid in a €30 million transfer. That fee includes bonuses and variables, according to Marca.

Hancko wanted to join Atlético last summer, after the club made him the number-one target to reinforce Diego Simeone’s defensive following a deal for Robin Le Normand. But negotiations with Feyenoord proved difficult, then impossible; Atleti ended up signing Clément Lenglet on loan from FC Barcelona, while Hancko enjoyed another productive season in the Eredivisie.

Last week, Hancko was on the verge of joining Al Nassr — and as of yesterday, Atlético were closing in on the signing of Renato Veiga from Chelsea. However, negotiations with Chelsea around a €40 million package for Veiga have stalled, and once Hancko-to-Saudi was fully ruled out, Atleti made their move for the Slovakia international.

A 6’2’’ center-back who can also play left-back, Hancko is a versatile defender with ample experience in top-flight competitions. Hancko joined Feyenoord from Sparta Praha in 2022 and became a fundamental player for Arne Slot; he impressed in a 3-2 loss at the Metropolitano in October 2023, scoring the Dutch side’s second goal, and the following summer he helped Slovakia reach the knockout phase at Euro 2024.

Hancko remained an essential piece as Feyenoord last season reached the Champions League knockout stages for the first time this century — despite an underwhelming third-place finish in the league. In all, Hancko scored 14 goals and provided eight assists in 127 games for De Trots van Zuid.

Hancko is Atlético’s second defensive signing in as many days, after the club swooped in to acquire Marc Pubill from Almería on Tuesday. The deal carries with it some elevated risk — ask yourself how often it is that a 27-year-old defender in the Eredivisie goes on to crush it in a bigger league — but Hancko’s metrics in a possession-heavy system at Feyenoord look very impressive, especially when weighted against other center-backs from the top seven European leagues.

 DataMB

With this signing, Atlético has ended its pursuit of Renato Veiga — Fabrizio Romano said the deal was “on hold” for now, but Diario AS reports that door is now closed entirely. Hancko’s track record of success (even in a lower-quality league) is more to the club’s liking, as is the price, roughly €10 million below Chelsea’s ask for Veiga.

Plus, Hancko can easily serve a function similar to what Simeone would have asked from Veiga: make this defense more modern and more comfortable playing in a higher line. According to DataMB, Hancko ranks in the 98th percentile in progressive carries, the 97th percentile in completed progressive passes, and the 94th percentile in total passes completed among top-seven league central defenders in the last year.

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