Collapsed! World Cup winner's deadline move to Atlético is dead
The deal that refused to die has finally flatlined: Nico Tagliafico will not be joining Atlético Madrid.
Details: Fabrizio Romano confirms the move is now off and has collapsed. The Argentine had given the green light hours earlier, and even when reports claimed the deal was dead, talks had survived until late into the night, with Juventus also lurking in the race.
The collapse leaves all parties exactly where they started on a chaotic Tuesday. Atlético, who wanted an experienced left-back for Diego Simeone, run out of time after a day of club-to-club talks that swung between life and death more than once. Tagliafico, who turned 33 on Monday, stays at Lyon, where he is under contract until June 2027 after 20 Ligue 1 appearances and 3 assists last season. It is the second major Lyon departure to implode in 24 hours, after Youssouf Fofana's move collapsed at the last second, and it comes on the same day the club did cash in on Malick Fofana, selling him to Sunderland for around €30 million. With windows across Europe now shut, the World Cup winner will have to wait until January for his next chapter.
It's worth noting that Transfermarkt valued the Argentine at just €4 million, yet even that modest fee could not carry the deal over the line before the deadline.
Reminder: Major twist at Atlético! Julián Álvarez is back with the squad.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
