News Focus
- Atletico Madrid plan to sign at least one new striker during the summer window.
- Nick Woltemade has emerged as a key target following a difficult spell at Newcastle United.
- The Spanish club hope to raise €30-35m through the sale of Alexander Sorloth.
- Woltemade joined Newcastle for €75m last year but has played out of position recently.
- Julian Alvarez continues to attract interest from Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Atletico Madrid are preparing an expensive bid to bring a Newcastle United attacker to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Manager Diego Simeone wants fresh faces in his forward line, with club officials ready to back him in the transfer market.
The Spanish giants could lose two important players this summer. Julian Alvarez remains a target for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, Alexander Sorloth may also depart after two seasons with the club. The Norway international has served Simeone well since arriving from Villarreal, but the board will allow him to leave if they receive a suitable offer.
If Sorloth moves on, Atletico will need a replacement with a similar style. They have turned their attention to Nick Woltemade. The German forward caught their eye last year when he played for Stuttgart, and they have maintained an interest in his situation.
Woltemade’s time in English football has not gone to plan. Newcastle paid more than €75m to secure his signature last summer, but he has struggled to settle. He began the campaign strongly, yet his playing time has dropped sharply. The coaching staff have used him mainly as a midfielder rather than in his preferred striking role. This has left the player unhappy and open to a change of scenery.
Newcastle would demand a similar fee to what they paid to release him. This creates a challenge for Atletico, who operate on a tight budget. However, selling Sorloth for around €30-35m would provide a large portion of the required funds. The club could then use their existing resources to cover the remainder.
Simeone hopes to keep Alvarez and pair him with Woltemade in his traditional 4-4-2 formation. This combination could offer pace and power in the final third. For now, though, the deal remains at the discussion stage, with weeks of negotiations likely ahead.