OFFICIAL: José Giménez renews to 2023

When José Giménez tweeted these two simple emojis on Wednesday evening, you felt that some big news was on the way. This not-so-subtle indication of an impending bombshell was followed up almost immediately by a report in Marca about the Uruguayan’s new contract. Said contract was confirmed on official Atlético Madrid channels about 20 minutes later.

One of the few Atlético players constantly linked with a move away, Giménez has ended any speculation before the World Cup with this fresh five-year contract. Not only has the length of the contract increased, but the release clause has nearly doubled — from €65 million to a reported €120 million, no doubt in a bid to ward off potential suitors.

Without doubt, Giménez is more than deserving of being a starting center-back next season as he took a huge step forward this year. There has never been much doubt about the 23-year-old’s physical prowess, but his reading of the game and decision making had been shoddy in the past. The 2017/18 season saw Joséma cut down on these errors by a large amount, and he proved himself to be a very good foil for his countryman Diego Godín.

This is wonderful news. Next season should be a lot of fun with the incoming players, as well as the continued development of young players like Josema, Lucas and Saúl. Atlético are still working on tying down Antoine Griezmann and Jan Oblak to new deals, but for Giménez, he can take the pitch with the Uruguay national team in Russia with his mind clear.