Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona keeping tabs on Europa League-winning attacking midfielder
According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are keeping tabs on Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada, who will be available for a free transfer in the summer.
Kamada’s contract with the German outfit stands to expire at the end of the season and he has shown no indication of wanting to renew with the club.
It was previously reported that the 26-year-old Japanese international could be set to join Eintracht Frankfurt’s Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund. However, that does not seem to be the case any longer, with Kamada now prioritising a transfer to Spain instead.
And, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have reportedly shown an interest in the Japanese attacking midfielder, who won the UEFA Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt last season.
Los Rojiblancos could be in need of a new midfielder next summer as Saul Niguez is likely to be shown the doors while question marks remain over the future of Thomas Lemar as well. Given Geoffrey Kondogbia’s reduced prominence in the team, he too could be a candidate for a summer exit.
In such a scenario, Diego Simeone & co. could need to rope in a new midfielder. There have been links to Real Madrid star Dani Ceballos quite a bit of late, but the Spaniard is understood to have rejected the approach from Atletico.
Kamada could be seen as an interesting alternative as he too will be available for free and is enjoying a fine season at Frankfurt, plundering 13 goals and five assists from midfield.
But, Barcelona could pose a hurdle in Atletico Madrid’s pursuit of the 26-year-old as they are also said to be monitoring the attacking midfielder’s situation in Germany.
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.
