After Atlético de Madrid held on to him during the summer transfer window, Alexander Sørloth now could depart in January as Diego Simeone seeks a different profile for his attack.
That is according to Marca’s Isaac Suárez on Tuesday night, as the season’s second international break begins.
“The topic of Sørloth’s future is generating more and more controversy every day in the club,” Suárez writes. “In the event that he leaves in January, it would open the door for another attacking signing. … There
is no doubt that Sørloth’s status has changed dramatically since the summer: what was once non-negotiable is now a path to explore in the winter. Circumstances have changed, and Sørloth’s performances haven’t helped his case.”
Sørloth suffered a calf strain in August that lingered for more than a month. Since his debut on Oct. 10, Sørloth has played six times between LaLiga and the Champions League; he has attempted three shots in 155 minutes, and he was deeply ineffective during Sunday’s 2-1 loss to FC Barcelona — a potentially decisive game for Atlético’s league title hopes.
“Against Bayern, he was Simeone’s weapon to escape the high pressure, but he barely won a duel against their center-backs,“ Suárez wrote. ”Against Barcelona, he didn’t change anything upon entering the game, and his body language raised suspicions.“
If only someone could have seen this coming. Sørloth’s lax attitude and penchant for inconsistency have never been issues before!
In all seriousness though, Atlético were compelled to hang onto Sørloth in the summer because his goalscoring record (44 in 113 appearances) isn’t bad, and because Simeone wanted “a forward of guarantees” in the squad as Julián Alvarez made heart eyes at Barcelona. Now though, Alvarez’s short-term future runs through Atleti, and Jonathan David’s performances — recently as a substitute — have made him trustworthy to the coaching staff.
Plus, the club wanted to avoid paying Villarreal a cool 20 percent of the transfer fee if Sørloth was sold for a profit. That lovely little clause has expired now, and as the 30-year-old’s contract expires in 2028, Atleti have only two more windows in which to make some cash on him.
Notably, Suárez also writes that Sørloth himself is open to a change “if his minutes continue to decrease.” As Simeone continues to back Alvarez, and as David carves out a role as an alternate, the big Norwegian’s role definitely is in flux.
