Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Arsenal lodge enquiry for 27-year-old Borussia Dortmund midfielder
According to reports from Florian Plettenberg, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal have enquired about the situation and availability of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud.
The 27-year-old will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season as a free agent after the German outfit decided against renewing his contract.
The midfielder has barely played for the men in yellow and black this season owing to surgery on his shoulder that ruled him out of action for close to six months, and the Bundesliga side no longer see him as part of their plans.
Dahoud began his professional career with Borussia Monchengladbach and was promoted to the first team in 2013. After spending a few years with his home club, he made the move to Borussia Dortmund for €12 million having just a year left on his contract.
In his six-year spell at Signal Iduna park, the 27-year-old has made 138 appearances, scoring five goals and providing 16 assists in the process. However, the current season has been difficult for him given his surgical procedure.
Dahoud returned from his long period on the sidelines in Dortmund’s game against SC Freiburg in February and has only participated in three of the team’s eight games since then.
Given that he will be available on a free transfer in June, there are close to ten clubs interested in the midfielder’s signature, including Arsenal and Atletico Madrid.
Atletico Madrid is undoubtedly one of the most tempting options on the German international’s table. However, Los Rojiblancos will face stiff competition from Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Serie A leaders Napoli who are also maintaining an eye on his situation.
AC Milan, Roma, Leicester, Real Betis, Sevilla, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray are just a few of the other clubs hoping to secure the midfielder’s services for next season. Clearly, the race for Dahoud is gearing up to be a headline battle in June.
There is no doubt that Atletico Madrid are bracing themselves for a busy summer ahead as they look to address the future of some of their star players. One of them is Saul Niguez, who has fallen out of favour under Diego Simeone and could leave the club.
A recent report from Mundo Deportivo has offered an update on the future of the Spaniard, suggesting that the player has once again become a market attraction.
The versatile star was on loan at Chelsea last season, but his spell at Stamford Bridge was far from ideal, as he featured in less than 500 minutes of league football. He returned to Atletico Madrid in the summer, and even though he wanted to leave the club, a move did not materialise.
Saul was even linked with a move away from Atleti in January. But Valencia, who were interested in him at the time, could not afford the deal, particularly because of the player’s salary and transfer fees.
The report from Mundo Deportivo states that Valencia have retained their interest in the player. But in addition to Los Che, Saul has been targeted by two other Spanish teams in the form of Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla.
Rayo have expressed the desire to sign Saul in the coming season. But they are likely to face economic difficulties in funding a move for the midfielder. The same can be said for Sevilla.
Saul’s current contract at Atletico Madrid expires in 2026, a deal that was agreed when the player was at his peak. But the long contract has now come back to haunt Atleti, as they desperately look to get rid of the Spanish international.
With his suitors likely to face financial trouble in weighing up a move, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for Saul in the coming summer.
Saul is not the only Atletico Madrid player facing an uncertain future, with Axel Witsel’s father also hinting at a possible exit recently.
