Change is coming to Atletico Madrid’s forward line, whether the club are ready for it or not.
Antoine Griezmann has already turned down an approach from MLS side Orlando City, but around the Metropolitano there is a growing acceptance that his time as the attacking reference point of Diego Simeone’s project is edging towards its final chapters. Atletico know they cannot be caught unprepared. The search for the next leading man has started in earnest.
According to Cadena SER, one name has moved rapidly up their list: Mason Greenwood.
From Getafe to Marseille – and back to Spain?
Atletico’s interest in the 24-year-old is not new. Greenwood impressed La Liga observers during his loan spell at Getafe, where his technical quality and end product quickly caught the eye. A move to Atleti never materialised then, but the club never stopped tracking him.
They are now watching a very different version of the player.
Since joining Marseille, Greenwood has exploded into one of Ligue 1’s most decisive forwards. He leads the league scoring charts with 15 goals and has 25 goals and eight assists in 38 appearances across all competitions this season. Those numbers place him among the most productive attackers anywhere in Europe.
For Atletico, that output matters. So does something less tangible: familiarity. Greenwood already knows the Spanish league, the climate, the rhythm of life in Madrid. During his season at Getafe, he was reported to be very comfortable in the capital. In a club where Simeone demands intensity from day one, the idea of a forward who can adapt instantly carries real weight.
Alvarez uncertainty and a looming void
The Greenwood link arrives against a backdrop of uncertainty surrounding Julian Alvarez’s future. Atletico maintain publicly that the World Cup winner is not for sale, but speculation refuses to die down. Barcelona are credited with serious interest and talk of a deal involving players moving in the opposite direction continues to circulate.
If Alvarez were to go, the hole in Atleti’s attack would be enormous. Goals, link play, big-game temperament – all of it would need replacing. Greenwood, with his current form and profile, is being viewed as a player capable of stepping into that space.
For Simeone, the attraction is clear: a versatile, goalscoring forward in his prime years, already tested in La Liga, now delivering elite numbers in France.
Marseille’s stance and Juventus competition
Signing him, though, is another matter entirely.
Greenwood is central to Marseille’s current project. Letting their top scorer walk in the middle of such form is not a decision the French club will take lightly. Any negotiation will be complicated, any fee substantial.
The pull from Madrid is strong: a return to a city he knows, the chance to fight for La Liga and the Champions League, the opportunity to lead the line for a club that lives off big European nights. That kind of stage is difficult for any ambitious forward to ignore.
Atletico, though, are not alone at the table. Juventus are also reported to be keen on the 24-year-old, adding another heavyweight to what could become one of the summer’s defining transfer battles.
As Griezmann’s glittering chapter edges towards its conclusion and doubts linger over Alvarez, Atletico stand at a delicate moment. The next striker they choose will shape the club’s attacking identity for years. Is Greenwood the one they trust to carry that weight?
