Grimaldo Personal Terms Agreed as Atlético Push to Meet Leverkusen’s €30m Demand
Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen are in active negotiations over a €25m fee for Alejandro Grimaldo (30), according to transfer reporter Matteo Moretto. Personal terms between the player and Los Colchoneros are understood to be fully agreed, with Grimaldo having accepted a contract running to 2029 with an option for a further year – meaning the outstanding question is purely one of club-to-club valuation.
The gap between the clubs
The €25m figure represents a significant upward shift from where this saga began. As previously covered on Football Espana, Atlético’s opening position centred on a fixed fee in the €10-13m range, with add-ons intended to bridge any gap. That approach did not satisfy Leverkusen, and the negotiations have since moved onto substantially different terms.
The valuation picture remains contested. German outlet Kicker, echoed by Bulinews, report that Leverkusen have set a minimum asking price of around €30m and are prepared to retain Grimaldo – and absorb the risk of a future free transfer – if bids fall short. Marca has cited an intermediate figure of €15m as the amount required to cover the remaining contract value, while ESPN report the anticipated fee as being closer to €10m if agreement is eventually reached. The spread across those accounts is wide enough to suggest that a precise number has not yet been locked, and that Moretto’s €25m reflects the current zone of active discussion rather than a settled position.
Leverkusen’s position and the contract arithmetic
Leverkusen’s stance is underpinned by straightforward leverage: Grimaldo signed from Benfica on a free transfer in summer 2023, made vice-captain, and his deal runs to 2027. The club did not pay an acquisition fee, yet they possess a player who delivered double-digit assists across all competitions in his debut Bundesliga season and whose market value has risen sharply since arrival. Accepting a figure near €10m would represent a significant discount on that trajectory.
The German club’s broader context matters here. Reports from Germany stress that proceeds from a Grimaldo sale are earmarked to finance Leverkusen’s squad rebuild following major outgoings this summer – which explains both the reluctance to accept a cut-price figure and the willingness to sell at all. A club holding a 2027 contract on a player of this quality would ordinarily have little incentive to move; the need to recycle funds is what has made the negotiation possible. Notably, Atlético are pursuing Aleix García from the same Leverkusen squad at a similarly reported €25m valuation, which gives some indication of how the Madrid club is calibrating its summer outlay.
What this means for Atletico Madrid’s summer
For Simeone’s side, Grimaldo addresses a specific structural need. His elite crossing, set-piece delivery, and capacity to function as an auxiliary winger within a back four represent a genuine upgrade at left-back, and the player’s international pedigree with Spain adds a proven high-level dimension to that profile. The reported contract offer – to 2029 with an option – signals that Atlético view this as a long-term acquisition rather than a short-term fix.
As previously covered on Football Espana, personal terms have been in place for some time, with the player’s agreement described as total. That the deal has not yet closed despite that alignment reflects the difficulty of meeting Leverkusen’s valuation threshold – a threshold the Bundesliga champions have shown no indication of softening under pressure.
What next for Atletico Madrid and Grimaldo?
With Grimaldo on international duty with Spain, further concrete movement is likely dependent on whether Atlético submit a formal written offer that meaningfully closes the distance to Leverkusen’s demands. Several reports from the Spanish side suggest optimism that a deal can be concluded within days; the German framing is more cautious, treating the outcome as genuinely uncertain.
The next meaningful development will be whether Atlético move from their current negotiating position to a revised bid that bridges the gap to Leverkusen’s €30m threshold, and whether the German club decide that certainty at €25m is preferable to the compounding risk of holding a player into the final phase of his contract.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
