Fenerbahce Leads Race for Sorloth as Atletico Targets Vlahovic

Fenerbahce have moved to the front of the queue for Alexander Sorloth, with the Turkish giants now leading the race to prise the striker away from Atletico Madrid.

According to Marca journalist Matteo Moretto, as cited by beIN Sports, the Istanbul club are in active talks with Atletico over a deal for the Norway international, who is under contract at the Metropolitano until June 2028 after arriving from Villarreal in August 2024.

The numbers are clear. Atletico value Sorloth at around €40 million (£34m/$46m), and Fenerbahce are understood to have the financial muscle to hit that figure. The discussion now centres on how that money is paid and what performance-related bonuses get attached.

This is not just another outgoing for Atletico. It is the domino that shapes their entire summer.

Sorloth’s sale is seen inside the club as pivotal to balancing the books and opening up crucial space on the wage bill. Those funds are earmarked for one target: Dusan Vlahovic. The plan is simple enough on paper — cash in on Sorloth, then bring in Vlahovic on a free transfer once his Juventus contract expires at the end of June.

The reality is more delicate. No formal bid has yet landed in Madrid that fully meets Atletico’s asking price, but negotiations are active and ongoing, with both clubs working through the structure of the deal and the add-ons that could push the final package over the line.

On the pitch, Sorloth’s departure would change the face of Diego Simeone’s attack. The Norwegian gives Atletico a towering focal point, a classic reference in the box who thrives in aerial duels and offers a direct outlet when games turn scrappy. Losing that profile strips Simeone of one of his most physically imposing options.

Vlahovic, though, would tilt the frontline in a different direction. Arriving as a free agent, he would bring a more explosive, high-intensity edge to Atletico’s attack — less about sheer size, more about movement, aggression and constant pressing from the front. The trade-off is obvious: one target man out, one modern, high-energy No. 9 in.

For Fenerbahce, Sorloth is not a luxury signing. He is the centrepiece. The club view him as the striker to lead both their domestic title charge and their European push, a spearhead around whom the rest of the attack can be built.

Both sides know what is at stake. For Fenerbahce, securing Sorloth now would send a statement across Turkey and beyond. For Atletico, getting this transfer over the line is the trigger they need to finally bring Vlahovic through the doors of the Metropolitano.