Atletico sign Celta midfielder Augusto Fernandez

"He is a player with veritable experience in La Liga, who will offer quality and competition to a great central midfield like ours," said Atletico sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero. "His incorporation will help us with the demands of challenging in three competitions in the coming months."

Atletico are joint top of La Liga with Barcelona, albeit having played a game more than the European champions, and have reached the last 16 of both the Copa del Rey and Champions League. Fernandez already has title winning experience under Simeone as they won the Argentine Clausura title together when at River Plate in 2008. His registration won't be cleared in time to face Levante on Saturday, so Fernandez could even make his debut by returning to Balaidos when Atletico travel to Celta on January 10.