Unsung $33 Million Buy Could Deny El Clásico Rivals La Liga Glory

Alexander Sørloth’s spell with Crystal Palace in the Premier League feels like something from another age. In fairness, the forward left his native Norway for South London’s streets and Selhurst Park’s sounds almost seven years ago. Then, the player was a different proposition, a young man who scored just one goal from 20 appearances in English soccer—unable to make a mark.

Perhaps it was the wrong club at the wrong time. Or one of the two. Sørloth looked a little awkward, even slightly unorthodox, at Palace. There was also an awkwardness about the ball that zipped across the turf—towards a forward now 29, with shifts at Leipzig, Real Sociedad, and Villareal since under his belt—in the dying seconds against Barcelona on December 21, 2024. He finished the difficult chance expertly, arms soon outstretched in celebration. How fortunes change.

That game-winning goal means Atlético progress into the new year on top of La Liga, leading second-placed Real Madrid by a point and Barça by three. On an individual level, it confirms Sørloth’s place as one of the most potent scorers in Spain. With eight goals, Sørloth is joint-fifth in the league’s scoring charts, half of frontrunner Robert Leandowski’s impressive 16. While that appears standard, Sørloth is third best for goals per 90 minutes, behind Lewandowski and Villarreal’s Ayoze Pérez.

Before the season, the Scandinavian arrived at Los Rojiblancos in a reportedly minimum €32 million ($33 million) agreement during a summer in which a free-spending Atleti invested even more handsome sums on fellow attacker Julian Álavarez, Conor Gallagher, and Robin Le Normand. Therefore, it’s been easy to overlook Sørloth despite his top form at Villarreal in 2023/24, when he was two goals away from claiming the Pichichi trophy. Internationally, Manchester City phenom Erling Haaland grabs most of the spotlight, too.

Sørloth Has A Taste For Goals

No longer just another name in Madrid, his goals may prove decisive in this title race, however. Speaking to the Norwegian television channel TV2 after his first runouts in an Atleti shirt, Sørloth revealed that head coach Diego Simeone calls him the “Hitman”—alluding to the decisive damage Sørloth can deliver upfront, and a moniker befitting Simone’s teams, hard-nosed and happy to play the villain in matches. If Sørloth can be the proverbial killer, scoring goals, which he says are “like ketchup”—because they are addictive or spill freely?—then it’s good news for Atleti.

It’s worth reiterating how well Atlético is doing as a unit. Having been largely outclassed in a narrow defeat against Real Betis in October, when it showed hardly any credentials, 12 wins on the bounce have followed. There have been resounding scorelines against Real Valladolid, Sparta Prague, and Slovan Bratislava, and much tighter victories, like a 4-3 thriller against Sevilla. Plentiful squad options and a knack for scoring late are helping the cause. The collective plan is coming together.

There’s a great opportunity to seal 13 consecutive triumphs in the first outing in 2025. Atlético takes on third-tier Marbella in the Copa del Rey, whom it should beat, even though Atleti has labored in the cup this term and is poised to play in a fervent atmosphere, with 26,000 free tickets already sold at Málaga’s La Rosaleda stadium to drum up interest for the occasion. It’s a chance for Sørloth to kick on and wrestle more of the power away from Barcelona and Real Madrid in a fascinating 2025.