Nahuel Molina (28, Argentina) is on the verge of leaving Atlético Madrid for Roma, with the two clubs having reached a verbal agreement on a fee and the right-back already understood to have agreed personal terms. Football España report that the deal is valued at around €18 million in total and could be formalised within the current week.
Four Seasons at the Metropolitano Come to an End
Infobae report that the structure involves a fixed portion plus performance-related bonuses estimated at between €3 and €4 million, figures transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has also been tracking. Gianluca Di Marzio has the fixed fee at €13 million with up to €4 million in add-ons, and Molina is reportedly set to sign through to mid-2029 on an annual salary of roughly €3 million.
Atlético paid around €12 million for Molina from Udinese in 2022, so an €18 million exit represents a modest profit on 181 official appearances, nine goals and 17 assists across four seasons. He arrived a World Cup winner and leaves a World Cup runner-up, having added the Finalissima and the Copa América while at the club, though he never won a trophy in Rojiblanco colours.
Why Atlético Are Ready to Let Him Go
Director of football Mateu Alemany reportedly labelled Molina transferable as soon as he returned to preseason, and Diego Simeone has not treated him as indispensable for some time. He fell behind Marcos Llorente and Marc Pubill in the pecking order – the same pair who, with some irony, beat Argentina in the World Cup final while representing Spain – and made just 46 appearances across all competitions in 2025-26.
That decline in minutes is reportedly what made the sale straightforward rather than painful for Atlético. The club are said to be prioritising a top-level centre-back this summer and intend to reinvest funds raised from outgoings, part of a broader defensive reshuffle that also saw Simeone confirm Matteo Ruggeri staying put at left-back despite Roma’s own interest in that position.
What Roma Are Getting
For Roma, Molina fills a specific need at right-back with proven Serie A pedigree. He spent two seasons at Udinese between 2020 and 2022, registering 10 goals and 10 assists in 68 appearances, numbers that originally convinced Atlético to sign him.
He would also join an Argentine contingent already featuring Paulo Dybala, Matías Soulé and new marquee signing Santiago Castro, who arrived from Bologna for around €35 million. Infobae frame the move within a wider scattering of Argentina’s World Cup generation, alongside Marcos Senesi’s switch from Bournemouth to Tottenham and Thiago Almada’s anticipated exit as part of the same summer reshuffle.
What Happens Next
Barring a late complication, Molina’s departure is expected to be finalised this week, with Atlético turning their attention to reinvesting the proceeds in defensive reinforcements. Boca Juniors, who developed him as a youth player, will receive around €500,000 through the solidarity mechanism once the transfer is formally registered.