Atletico Madrid finalise signing of South American wonderkid – Football España

Atletico Madrid are committed to strengthening the options in their youth academy, and in recent days, they have taken another step in the right direction with the addition of a highly-rated South American wonderkid.

¡Éxitos, Allen querido!

Detalles: https://t.co/uYJZyDub1d#BarcelonaSomosTodos + Allen Obando pic.twitter.com/5WTwzkvqoO

— BARCELONA S.C. (@BarcelonaSC) February 22, 2025

Allen Obando is the player that Atleti have acquired, as confirmed in the early hours of Saturday morning by his previous club, Barcelona Sporting Club de Guayaquil. In an official statement, they have stated that an agreement has been reached for the Ecuadorian teenager to make the move to the Metropolitano.

Barcelona SC have also confirmed that Obando will not be joining Atleti immediately – instead, he will be loaned to Inter Miami, meaning that he will be linking up with the likes of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets.

The statement has also stated that the details of the agreement with Atleti will be finalised in April, but according to Relevo, the expectation is that a deal has cost in the region of €3-5m. If that is the case, he would be the largest sale in the history of Barcelona SC.

Odando, who plays as a centre forward, has been linked with a move to La Liga in the past. In May 2024, it was reported that Barcelona were in talks to sign him from their namesakes, although club sources later denied that a deal was anywhere close to being a reality. In the end, their interest went no further, and that has allowed Atleti to swoop in 10 months later.

Obanso first shot to prominence back in 2023 after an impressive tournament at the U17 South American Championship, during which he scored three times in eight appearances. He will now continue his career in the MLS for the time being, and while he is at Inter Miami, Atletico Madrid officials are bound to keep a very close eye on his progress.