Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid demand €19 million from Barcelona for forward with 11-goal involvements
According to David G Medina of MARCA, Atletico Madrid will not offer Barcelona any discounts in their pursuit of Yannick Carrasco and will demand that the €19 million fee that was previously agreed be paid in full.
Barcelona secured a preferential buy option for Carrasco as part of the deal that saw Memphis Depay move to Atletico Madrid during the winter window.
There have been different figures reported when it comes to the fee that was agreed for the Belgian between the two clubs. While the larger share of media outlets have reported to be in the range of €15-20 million, some reports suggested that the sum was only €9 million.
However, David G Medina has issued a clarification on the same, stating that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid shook hands on a fee of €19 million for Carrasco’s services.
Recent reports have suggested that the Blaugrana have no desire to pay that fee for the 29-year-old and wish to negotiate a lower fee with the Colchoneros.
However, Atletico Madrid are in no mood to listen to any fresh offers for the winger and will only grant his sale if Barcelona pay the full €19 million that was agreed upon in January.
Carrasco’s current contract with Atleti expires in the summer of 2024, meaning he will be in the final year of his deal this summer. The winger has refused to listen to offers from the Premier League to secure a move to Barcelona, angering Atletico Madrid in the process.
The 29-year-old, who has scored seven goals and set up four more this season, seemingly has his heart set on an exit from the Civitas Metropolitano, but the ball is now in Barcelona’s court and they will have to decide whether they are willing to pay the €19 million fee to sign him or not.
There have been suggestions of a possible swap deal that could see Carrasco and Ferran Torres, an Atletico Madrid target, trade clubs. But the chances of such an operation materialising appear to be extremely slim.
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.
