Kondogbia is already from Atlético. The rojiblanco team and Valencia made the transfer official after reaching an agreement last Saturday and that the French footballer passed the medical examination on Sunday. The 27-year-old player signs with Atleti for the remainder of the course and three more seasons.
Thus, Simeone will have a replacement for Thomas's departure on the last market day. The Ghanaian's loss due to the unilateral termination of his contract on October 5 (for 50 million to Arsenal) offered the rojiblanco team an extra month to be able to register as compensation for their loss and from the first moment Kondogbia was chosen for price and features. According to rojiblancas sources, the agreement has been closed for about 10 million, two in variables and 10% of its future step. In the club they speak of a higher amount closer to 20 million.
View gallery
Meet Geoffrey Kondogbia
The midfielder is deeply involved with the situation in his parents' country, the Central African Republic, one of the poorest countries in the world. In fact, he created the Kishan Kondogbia Foundation that tries to help the most disadvantaged.
Photo:
DIARIO AS / MIGUEL ANGEL MORENATTI
Kondogbia for the moment will be able to participate in League and Copa del Rey, since there is no possibility of registering him in the Champions League until January, where he would be available from a hypothetical round of 16. Valencia for its part cannot go to replace the footballer until the winter market that opens on January 1. International with all the lower categories of France since the U-16, he played five friendlies with the absolute of the bleus. But nevertheless, in 2018 he decided to play for the Central African Republic, place where his parents were born. With the Central African team he has played three games in the qualifying phase for the Africa Cup, scoring a goal and wearing the captain's armband in all three games.
A footballer with a great physical power, long shot, good ball output and extensive experience in the league. Signed by Sevilla in the summer of 2012 as a promise, he left a fantastic performance in the center of Seville, prompting Monaco to pay his release clause a year later. After passing through Inter, Kondogbia became a fixture at Valencia during the last three seasons. Simeone will thus reinforce a pivot that was compromised with the departure of Thomas, the third player in the squad with the most minutes last season and where he suffered at the start of the season without the Ghanaian and with Saúl's injury.
Maximum competition
Now the Cholo will have a maximum competition for the position between Kondogbia, Torreira, another newcomer who against Osasuna scored his first goal as a rojiblanco, Herrera, which has been growing with the passing of the parties as an anchor, Saul, who is back before Lokomotiv and a Koke that has been key from a position in the double pivot to give fluidity to the offensive game offered by the team in the last games.
Kondogbia played his last game with Valencia exactly a month ago, before the possibility of reaching Atlético opened. Since the red and white option appeared, it was the great desire of the player, who stopped exercising with the group due to heel discomfort. In addition, he published a message against his president on social networks: “After having destroyed an ambitious project, you had to deceive your coach and finally me. Thank you Anil Murthy”. Finally, and after a new meeting with Murthy, his departure was agreed, something that further weakens the Che team.