Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid considering swoop for 30-year-old Spanish midfielder – report
Atletico Madrid are bracing themselves for a busy January transfer window as the club look to trim the squad in their attempt to bring in some much-needed revenue.
At the same time, the club are determined to add fresh quality to the squad. As part of their plans, they are targeting a host of talented players across Europe, with Luis Alberto emerging as one of their targets.
This has been reported by Corriere Dello Sport (h/t Mundo Deportivo), which suggests that the club from the capital are closely monitoring the situation of the Lazio star and could make a move for him in the near future.
Formerly of Liverpool, Alberto has been a huge success at Lazio since joining the club in 2016. He has racked up 236 competitive appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals while mustering 62 assists.
A central midfielder by trade, Alberto’s creative brilliance has been key in helping Lazio remain one of the top teams in Italy. But after six years of success, many believe the 30-year-old playmaker could contemplate leaving the club in the near future.
That is where Atletico Madrid come into the fray. The Spanish giants are preparing for a major overhaul in January, with the creative department emerging as one of their major weak points.
However, the report suggests Atleti must offload their star players such as Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo De Paul before they can afford a move for Alberto, who still has a contract at Lazio that does not expire until 2025.
With that in mind, it could be tricky for Atletico to fund a move for the former Liverpool starlet. But at the same time, they are looking to offload both Lemar and De Paul in January, along with Matheus Cunha, and those sales could potentially pave the way for the club to bring in Roberto.
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.
