Atletico Madrid have been fairly quiet during the current transfer window. Los Rojiblancos have made more news due to their potential departures, as names such as Sime Vrsaljko and Jan Oblak have gathered a lot of interest in the market in recent weeks. However, they have improved their squad significantly with a recent arrival this Wednesday.
Through their official Twitter account, the Spanish club confirmed the arrival of Gelson Martins this Wednesday. The Portugal international joins the Wanda Metropolitano outfit from Sporting Lisbon on a five-year deal, although terms of the deal have not been revealed yet.
This was a controversial signing, though. Martins decided to unilaterally end his contract with Sporting CP after being assaulted by fans and Atletico signed him as a free agent, but the Liga powerhouses still reached an agreement with Sporting. The Portuguese club is not happy with how things happened, though, and are studying taking the case to FIFA officials since they felt Gerson did not have the rights to end his contract the way he did it.
If we focus strictly in the football side of things, then this is a great move for both parties. Gelson finally made the jump to a European top league, while Atletico can certainly take advantage of his pace on the wing. The Portuguese winger could form a great partnership with Thomas Lemar, another new signing, on the flanks.
Gelson Martins, who has won 19 caps with the Portugal national team, registered 140 appeareances for the Lisbon-based side throughout his career. He contributed with 27 goals and 30 assists over that span.
