Atletico Madrid News
Aston Villa made deadline day proposal for Atletico Madrid midfielder
Unsurprisingly, Atletico Madrid’s all-action midfielder, Geoffrey Kondogbia, was a key presence in the side throughout the course of last season.
However, it has been revealed that a Premier League club approached Diego Simeone’s side in a bid to complete his signature.
According to the latest information provided by MARCA (h/t AtletiUniverse), Aston Villa made an attempt to sign Kondogbia on deadline day, but their interest came too late into the summer transfer window.
With Steven Gerrard’s man not afraid to splash the cash, one can safely assume that the issue was far from the English club penny-pinching in their attempts to sign the Central African international.
Instead, Atleti may well have been unwilling to let go of Geoffrey Kondogbia due to how key a presence he remains in the middle of the park.
Just last term, the former Valencia star played the 8th highest minutes in the squad across all competitions, which points to his importance in the side.
Despite Marcos Llorente and new man Axel Witsel’s ability to operate as the defensive midfielder, Diego Simeone may have been miffed with letting a trusted presence depart the side without being able to bring in a replacement.
Ultimately, there is no denying that both Real Madrid and Barcelona have superior squads than Atletico Madrid as a whole.
To add to that, both sides have added a midfielder each, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Franck Kessie joining each other side, respectively.
In order to keep pace with the two giants of Spanish football, letting go of a vital squad player would have been unwise for the Rojiblancos.
While one can have their own opinions on whether Geoffrey Kondogbia would have been an Aston Villa player had an approach been made earlier, Atleti ultimately made the right call by essentially rejecting the offer.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Chelsea contact PSG midfielder’s agent with player set to leave
Atletico Madrid and Chelsea are among the clubs that have made contact with the agent of PSG midfielder Leandro Paredes, who is set to leave this summer.
This claim comes from journalist Martin Arevalo on ESPN, who states that apart from Atletico and Chelsea, an unnamed third club have also established contact with the Argentine international’s representative.
Paredes has been on PSG’s books since January 2019, when he arrived from Zenit St. Petersburg. For a large part of his time at the French capital outfit, the midfielder had been a regular starter in the side.
However, last summer saw Paredes get shipped out on loan to Juventus. He has played 33 times for the Bianconeri this season with a return of one goal and assist apiece.
The Serie A heavyweights, who were recently hit with a 10-point deduction, have the option to purchase him permanently. But, as per the report, his relationship with manager Massimiliano Allegri is not good and a return to PSG is on the cards.
And considering that he is not in the plans back at Parc des Princes either, a permanent departure away seems set in stone for Paredes.
As such, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, and an unnamed club have shown interest in acquiring his services by making contact with the 28-year-old World Cup winner’s agent.
With Koke entering the final phase of his career and Geoffrey Kondogbia expected to leave at the end of the season, the Rojiblancos could do with reinforcements in the centre of the park.
Paredes, who has plenty of experience at the highest level and is known for his aggressive mentality, can be a good fit into Diego Simeone’s setup at the Civitas Metropolitano.
But, with Chelsea also in the picture, things could get tricky for the Colchoneros. After all, Atleti are operating on tight finances and are looking for bargain and free transfer signings in the market with the likes of Marcus Thuram, Jordi Alba, and Raphael Guerreiro emerging as targets.
