It's done: subject to the conclusions of the medical examination, Thiago Almada will become Colchonero, transferred from Botafogo to Atlético de Madrid as part of a new convoluted deal. While a transaction at 40 million euros was mentioned, the mattresses are about to acquire 50% of the rights of the player against 21 million euros. More than 5 million possible bonuses.
What about the other half of the rights, remaining the property of the Rio club? If the Argentinian international does not leave Madrid in the next three years, then Atlético will have to buy them for 10 million euros. And what about OL in all of this? Not much alas a priori since Botafogo, still overseen by John Textor, claims all rights over the boy.
Via Eagle Football Holdings (the Galaxy Textor), Eagle Football Group (ex-ol group) A ” obtained the transfer of future economic rights of three players from the Brazilian club Botafogo for an amount of € 98.5 million », Could we read a few months ago in a statement announcing the certification of the Rhodanian accounts between the years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. Namely Thiago Almada, Luiz Henrique and Igor Jesus. Yes but here, reality seems quite different.
As for Luiz Henrique-bought 16 million euros in Betis Seville in February 2024, for the benefit of Botafogo, and sold at Zenith Saint-Petersburg less than a year later for 33 million euros, via a subsidiary of Eagle Football Holdings-never Eagle Football Group (therefore OL) has touched the slightest penny according to the national reports management control. And it is a safe bet that it will be the same for Thiago Almada.
Textor does not do the OL business
According to the Brazilian media Globo, John Textor, certainly banned as for the management of Gones, continues to draw the strings from his football holding company. And the 21 million euros which promise to enter the funds shortly should allow the American business to satisfy some of its many creditors. In other words, mop the debts but not necessarily those of OL.
The scenario is all the more likely than Ends, the main lender fund of Eagle Football Group, is also a shareholder to more than a third in the capital of Atlético Holdco, the company of the Director General of the Colchoneros Miguel Angel Gil Marin and its President Enrique Cerezo. Investing in Thiago Almada for Atlético and Ares therefore contributes to reimburse the interest due by OL to this same American investment fund.
