Roma chase €18m deal for Atlético’s right‑back Nahuel Molina
In the final days of the European transfer window, Atlético Madrid have reached an agreement for right‑back Nahuel Molina to join Serie A side Roma. The 28‑year‑old Argentine is only a few details away from completing the move, which would see him leave the Spanish capital before the window shuts.
Molina has alternated between starting and bench roles under head coach Diego Simeone, never cementing a permanent place in the line‑up. Simeone does not regard him as indispensable, a view echoed by the club’s sporting director.
European transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano disclosed that the total fee is around €18 million, including performance‑related bonuses of roughly €3‑4 million. The sum reflects both the player’s market value and the clauses attached to the deal.
Before arriving at Atlético, Molina spent two seasons at Udinese, playing 68 matches, scoring 10 goals and providing 10 assists between 2020 and 2022. Atlético acquired him for about €12 million after his Italian stint.
Mateu Alemany, Atlético’s director of football, labelled Molina “transferable” as soon as he returned to training, confirming the club’s willingness to let him go. Simeone’s lack of reliance on the defender further eased the negotiation.
Roma have already secured Argentine forwards Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and midfielder Santiago Castro, the latter arriving from Bologna for an estimated €35 million. The club is now finalising Molina’s personal terms to complete the reinforcement.
The contract offered runs until mid‑2029 and includes an annual salary of roughly €3 million. Such terms underline Roma’s intent to make the Argentine a long‑term component of their squad.
Atlético will not impose major obstacles, and Molina remains registered with the team while paperwork is finalised. Should the €18 million fee materialise, Boca Juniors will receive about €500 000 under the solidarity mechanism, reflecting his early development there.
During his three seasons in Madrid, Molina featured in 181 official games, started 131 of them, scored nine goals and delivered 17 assists. Despite this involvement, he fell behind teammates Marcos Llorente and Marc Pubill in the pecking order and did not win any trophies with the club, though he earned three stars with Argentina at the 2022 Finalissima, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa América.
Other confirmed moves this window include Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth to Tottenham and Nicolás Otamendi from Benfica to River Plate. Additional Atlético players linked with departures are Julián Álvarez (potentially to Barcelona) and Thiago Almada (near a River Plate deal), while Dibu Martínez, Gerónimo Rulli, Cristian Romero and Enzo Fernández are also rumored to be moving elsewhere.
Nahuel Molina’s career path reads: Boca Juniors (2016), Defensa y Justicia (2017‑2019), Rosario Central (2018‑2020), Udinese (2020‑2022), Atlético Madrid (2022‑2026).