News Focus
- Atletico Madrid want to sign Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva when his contract expires this summer.
- The club hopes to reduce the €32 million fee for Juventus loanee Nicolas Gonzalez.
- Sporting Director Mateu Alemany aims to strengthen the centre of the pitch with new signings.
- Thiago Almada and Alexander Sorloth could both leave the Wanda Metropolitano.
- Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi is a target if Sorloth departs.
Atletico Madrid are preparing for another active transfer window. The club has brought in 16 new players during the last two seasons. Now, Sporting Director Mateu Alemany wants to put his own stamp on the team during his first full summer in the role.
The biggest story this week concerns Bernardo Silva. The Manchester City playmaker will become a free agent when his deal ends. Sources claim he wants to join Atletico Madrid ahead of AC Milan or Juventus. Alemany believes the midfield needs fresh faces.
The La Liga side have also noted Sporting CP captain Morten Hjulmand. However, Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has advised his club to chase the Dane too. Another name on the list is Matt O’Riley, who currently plays for Olympique Marseille. His parent club Brighton and Hove Albion demand roughly €30 million for the 25-year-old. Bayer Leverkusen’s Aleix Garcia is also under consideration. Reports from Diario AS suggest that officials at Atletico still rate the Spain international highly.
Meanwhile, talks loom over Nicolas Gonzalez. The Argentina winger is on loan from Juventus, but Atletico wish to make his stay permanent. They will not trigger the €32 million option-to-buy agreed last summer. Italian paper Tuttosport states that Juventus might accept a player exchange involving Johnny Cardoso. According to MD, the final agreement will likely settle between €20 million and the original clause.
Several stars could head for the exit. Thiago Almada signed from Botafogo just last summer for €21 million. Now, River Plate hope to take him back to Argentina to play alongside former Atletico forward Angel Correa. In addition, striker Alexander Sorloth may leave. Should that happen, the club will pursue Nicolo Tresoldi from Club Brugge. The 21-year-old German forward scored 19 goals this term. Sky Sports Germany values him above €30 million. Borussia Dortmund are also monitoring the situation.