A midfielder is being pursued by Atletico Madrid in the last week of the transfer market.

It appeared that Atletico Madrid would have a quiet transfer window, but Colchoneros could witness Director of Football Carlos Bucero in solitary action in the final week of the January market. Bucero previously shared transfer choices with Sporting Director Andrea Berta, but with the Italian's departure in early January, he is now solely responsible for that department.

Marca claims that Bucero is actively trying to get rid of Thomas Lemar, a French midfielder. The former Monaco player has been healthy for almost a month, but aside from a cameo against Real Betis, he has not yet seen action in La Liga or the Champions League. However, with a contract that is still in effect until 2027, Lemar's high salary and inaction are significant barriers to finding a new home.

Bucero, on the other hand, will hunt for a natural 'number 5' in the window's last week. Bucero is eager to provide Diego Simeone with someone who can direct proceedings from the base of the midfield, following unsuccessful attempts to sign Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino, Marco Verratti, and Sofyan Amrabat in recent years. Wonderkid Arthur Vermeeren arrived in January but did not appeal to Simeone and was later traded to RB Leipzig.

Conor Gallagher also joined in the summer, but Simeone prefers him higher up the field and does not regard him as a holding midfielder. According to earlier reports, Simeone's top choice for the role is Alan Varela, a midfielder with Porto. Samu Costa, Luis Milla, and Morten Hjulman were also linked to Los Colchoneros, although Berta was more interested in those players than Bucero. Pablo Barrios currently fills this duty frequently, while captain Koke Resurrection receives cameos and sporadic starts.