Atlético de Madrid made an offer of 20 million euros to Botafogo to recruit Thiago Almada this winter. However, the offer was rejected by John Textor who prefers to send Almada to Olympique Lyonnais.

Atlético de Madrid, recognized for its ongoing interest in players, has been monitoring Thiago Almada for several transfer windows. Despite their interest, Botafogo declined a 20 million euros bid from Atlético, causing some dissatisfaction within Botafogo, particularly as it went against the terms of the player's contract when he joined the club. The owner of Botafogo, John Textor, refused the offer, as he was hoping for higher bids, especially considering Almada was purchased for 18.2 million euros from Atlanta United. Textor, who also owns Olympique Lyon, is seeking offers exceeding 40 million euros to help alleviate financial issues at Lyon, with Botafogo being a crucial source of funds. The rejection of Atlético's offer has left Almada frustrated, as he was eager to join Atlético because of the influence of the 'Argentine clan' at the club.