Atletico Madrid most expensive signings - How La Liga giants spent almost €1.5 billion on incoming transfers

After coming through the ranks at Real Sociedad, Antoine Griezmann made his senior debut for the club on September 2, 2009 when the Basque side were in the second tier.

It was in the 2011-12 season that he really burst on to the scene, though, as Sociedad were promoted to La Liga. In his first match in the top-flight against defending champions Barcelona, Griezmann scored an equaliser to help Sociedad claim a 2-2 draw.

In July 2014, Atletico Madrid came calling, agreeing to pay a €30m fee for the Frenchman.

From 2014 to 2018, Griezmann made 180 appearances for Atletico, scoring 94 goals before making a record move to Barcelona in the summer of 2019.

The World Cup winner returned back to Atletico for a season-long loan in 2021 before making his return permanent in 2022.

Atletico Madrid pounced on the opportunity to sign established striker Kevin Gameiro on a four-year deal for €32m from Sevilla in the summer of 2016.

The French forward made 82 appearances and scored 27 goals in his two years for Atletico. His most memorable contribution came in February 2017, when he scored the fastest La Liga hat-trick in over 22 years after coming off the bench in the 62nd minute against Sporting Gijon.

Gamerio was offloaded to Valencia in the summer of 2018 for €16m.

After three seasons there, he returned to his childhood club Strasbourg in the summer of 2021.

In the 2014-15 season, Porto's Jackson Martinez was labelled a future star of European football.

Already 28 years old at that time, Martinez was on his way to score the last few of his 92 goals in 136 appearances for Porto.

Premier League side Arsenal were heavily linked with the Colombian but Atletico Madrid acted fast and paid a hefty €35m fee for the Colombian striker in the summer of 2015.

Martinez scored his first goal in his second game for Atletico - a 3-0 win over Sevilla.

However, he could not survive at the club for even one full season, leaving the following January to join Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande.

After having him on loan for the 2019-20 season, Atletico Madrid decided to sign Alvaro Morata on a permanent basis, agreeing to pay €35m to Chelsea.

After making just eight appearances, Atletico sent him on loan to Juventus for two seasons.

Morata returned to Atletico in 2022 and managed to fight his way back into Diego Simeone's starting XI.

Atletico Madrid needed quality reinforcements in defensive midfield when they scouted and signed Rodrigo de Paul from Italian club Udinese in 2021.

The Rojiblancos had to part ways with €35m for De Paul, who joined them just days after winning the Copa America with Argentina in July 2021.

In December 2021, De Paul scored his first goal for the club in a 3-1 win against Porto in the 2021-22 Champions League group stage.

Atletico Madrid signed Spanish winger Vitolo for €35m from Las Palmas on a five-year deal in July 2017.

Due to the transfer ban they were under at that time, however, they couldn't register him and he had to be loaned back to Las Palmas until December.

Vitolo returned and made his debut for Atletico in January 2018 in a 4-0 away win over Lleida Esportiu in the Copa del Rey.

The winger eventually fell out of favour and was deemed surplus by Diego Simeone, making just 10 La Liga appearances in 2020-21.

Atletico loaned him to Getafe for the 2021-22 season and then he returned to the Spanish second division with Las Palmas on loan the following year.

One of the greatest strikers in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Radamel Falcao was in red-hot form ever since arriving at Porto in 2009, scoring 72 goals in 87 games for them.

Atletico Madrid were hugely impressed with the Colombian's performances in Portugal as well as in the Champions League and decided to splash €40m to sign him in 2011.

Falcao spent two seasons at Atletico, scoring 70 goals in 91 appearances and some labelled him the best striker in the world during his time in Spain.

In 2013, Monaco came in with a €60m offer for his signature. After just one season in France, Falcao joined Manchester United and Chelsea on loan in back-to-back seasons before joining Galatasaray in 2019 for free.

After two seasons in Turkey, Falcao joined Rayo Vallecano in 2021.

Diego Costa joined Atletico Madrid in December 2006 and was loaned to Braga until the end of that season.

He was then presented by Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo in July 2007, who hailed the striker as "the new Kaka".

After multiple loan moves, he was sold to Real Valladolid in 2009 with a buy-back option, which Atletico triggered a year later to bring him back to the Spanish capital.

The striker went on to net 43 goals in 94 La Liga games for the club, becoming one of football's deadliest strikers.

Chelsea came calling in 2014, agreeing to pay €38m for his signature. After almost four successful seasons at Stamford Bridge, Costa returned to Atletico in January 2018 for €60m.

Struggling with injuries, Costa moved back to Brazil in 2021 but was snapped up by Premier League side Wolves a year later.

Atletico broke their transfer record to sign Thomas Lemar for €72m from Monaco in 2018.

The Frenchman has not always been a regular starter but he has remained a reliable figure who has helped implement Diego Simeone's vision at the club.

With over 150 appearances for Atletico in all competitions, the World Cup winner has won one La Liga title and one UEFA Super Cup with the Rojiblancos.

After excelling in Benfica's youth academy, Joao Felix was promoted to the first team in 2018.

The Portuguese forward scored 15 goals in 26 games in his first and only season in the senior squad, attracting interest from some top clubs including Manchester United.

With Antoine Griezmann on his way to joining Barcelona, Atletico Madrid were quick splash a record breaking €127.2 million in the summer of 2019 to make Joao Felix his replacement.

The attacker has been a decent signing for Atletico as he helped them claim the 2020-21 La Liga title, but he has not been able to live up to expectation in the Spanish capital.