REINILDO: ATLETI'S VIEW

Although the club haven't officially announced the signing of Reinildo Mandava following his departure from Atlético Madrid, it's been widely reported that he has agreed a two-year deal on Wearside. So, we spoke to Jeremy Beren from Into The Calderon and That Atleti Podcast to discuss what we can expect from the experienced defender and why he was loved by the fans over in Spain.

Reinildo joined Atlético Madrid in 2022 for what was reported as a 3 million Euro deal from Lille, and played over 100 games during his three years there. Were Madrid reluctant to keep him in Spain or does it seem like he wanted a fresh challenge?

Reinildo's exit wasn't necessarily a foregone conclusion, but the matter was certainly trending in that direction over the past several months. His Atlético contract was expiring, he had been second-choice at left-back for much of the season, and the club is trying to get younger in key positions. I think both sides understood that this was the right time to part ways.

In this new modern era of football that demands full backs to be an asset offensively as well as defending, how does Reinildo stack up? Is he more defensive/offensive or can he do both?

Reinildo isn't exactly terrible on the ball, but he is much stronger out of possession than in it. At Atleti, he looked most comfortable as a wide center-back in a 3-5-2 formation, a position in which he used his speed, strength, and terrific instincts to harass and bully opposing wingers. He was serviceable-to-good as a natural left-back in a 4-4-2, but attacking contribution never has been his strong suit -- he scored two goals and assisted one more across 103 total appearances for Atleti.

Having been fighting for a top four spot in the La Liga for the last three years, will he be just as much of an asset off the pitch for our young players as well as on the pitch during games?

I think Reinildo's experience and leadership could be valuable to a team that is trying to re-establish itself as a Premier League mainstay. Though he was a "late bloomer" and did not play in a major European league before 2018, Reinildo is a seasoned international for Mozambique, and he was an important player during Lille's Ligue 1 title win in 2021. He was very popular in the Atleti dressing room and always had a great attitude despite his lack of minutes last season.

Looking at the social media response to the news of his confirmed departure, it seems as though he was adored by the Atleti fans. What is it about him that the fans liked the most?

Our fans really do love him. He has a great personality and really embraced Atleti and Diego Simeone's way of playing. He never had a bad word to say about anyone, never caused any problems in the dressing room, just a model professional through and through.

Given his experience, having played in the top flight in France and Spain, would you be more than comfortable to say he'd cope with the demands of the Premier League?

As we'll get to in a moment, Reinildo suffered a serious knee injury in 2023 that sapped some of his effectiveness as a defender. And Premier League football is played at a faster pace than the football in Spain. That said, he did fit in very quickly upon joining Atlético in 2022, which speaks to his tactical intelligence and ability to ingratiate himself within a dressing room. It may not take him long to start impacting games positively for Sunderland.

So, tell us about that injury. What's his fitness record like?

The defender had a spotless injury record until he suffered a torn right ACL during a Madrid Derby in February 2023. The injury cost him 10 months, and he struggled to regain his starting spot under Simeone after that. His loss of pace and acceleration were noticeable this past season; he relied heavily on those traits during his first year-plus at Atleti.

At 31, could you see this as perhaps his last transfer to a club in one of the top five European leagues?

Yeah, I feel this is Reinildo's last chance to play in a competition as important as the Premier League. I know for a fact he is getting a substantial salary increase relative to what he earned at Atleti. I'm not too certain what his next move would be post-Sunderland, but this is his shot to play in the Prem and earn a really good pay packet he wouldn't have earned in another league.

Us Sunderland fans are having quite the summer, witnessing exciting potential deals one after another. To maintain this excitement, can you give us a quick rundown of everything we can expect from the Mozambican?

I'm excited to watch you guys play in the Prem again! Reinildo is an ambitious signing who can offer a lot to the Black Cats. I think he is still good for several lockdown defensive showings a year, and his leadership could be vital when the season hits tricky patches. I wouldn't expect many goals or assists from him, but he's a charismatic guy who plays with a lot of passion and, at his best, will be a nightmare for wingers in one-on-one duels.