Transfer rumour · archive

Jorge Salinas to Atletico Madrid

This move fell through. Last report: The Hard Tackle, 1 September 2026.

The move for Jorge Salinas has fallen apart, at least for now. Racing Santander's 19-year-old defender was being pursued by Atletico Madrid, who wanted to get ahead of Manchester United before English interest hardened. A fee of €16m was on the table, tied to a release clause figure, but a bid of just €1m was rejected along the way, and talks have since collapsed rather than progressed toward any agreement. The story rests on a single source. Graeme Bailey, who carries decent credibility at 78 out of 100, reported in August 2026 that Atletico were pushing to close the deal specifically to see off United's growing interest. No second voice has corroborated the claim, so this remains a solo report rather than something confirmed across multiple outlets. Given the collapse and the gap between the €16m fee discussed and Salinas's market value of around €8m, this looks a long shot for now. Atletico would need to return with a substantially different offer, and Racing would need to soften their stance after rejecting the earlier €1m bid. Manchester United's interest adds another variable that could complicate things further rather than simplify them. There is no comparable deal on file to measure this fee against, so it is hard to say whether €16m for a teenager valued at half that would represent unusual business or simply the going rate for a highly rated young defender. Watch for any fresh contact between Atletico and Racing, or a concrete move from Manchester United that would force Atletico's hand. Until either club returns with a serious bid, this stays stalled.

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