Atletico Madrid have got their first signing of the current transfer window. As we previously wrote, manager Diego Simeone wanted experienced Belgian Axel Witsel to plug a hole in the red and white midfield.The 33-year-old Belgian midfielder arrives on a free transfer from Borussia Dortmund, following four seasons back in the Bundesliga. After reportedly losing out on Boubacar Kamara to Aston Villa, Simeone will have instead have a veteran with many years of experience to plug a gap in midfield.I’m proud to join this historic club and looking forward to the challenge ahead with @Atleti 💪🏽I can’t wait to join my new teammates, coaches and wear the colours of this great club 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pxRUzCYgZb— Axel Witsel (@axelwitsel28) July 6, 2022 The Belgian international took his first steps in professional football with Standard Liege, a club he joined when he was just 9 years old and where he made his professional debut in the 2006/07 season. His good performances opened the door for Benfica, where he joined in the 2011/12 season and from where he left for St. Petersburg to sign for Zenit the following season. After 180 appearances in five seasons, Witsel signed for Chinese side Tianjin Tianhai before joining Borussia Dortmund in 2018, where he became a mainstay of the German side, making 145 appearances.##NAJAVA_MECA_6490519##The Belgian, capped 124 times by the Red Devils, has won trophies at every European club he has played for: two league titles (2007/08 and 2008/09), two Belgian Supercups (2008/09 and 2009/10) and a Belgian Cup (2011) with Standard Liege; a League Cup with Benfica (2011/12), a Russian Premier League (2015), a Russian Cup (2016) and two Russian Supercups (2015/16 and 2016/17) with Zenit and a German Cup (2020/21) and a German Supercup (2019/20) with Borussia Dortmund.
