Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid eyeing move for former Barcelona duo in a swap for Felix
As Joao Felix is nearing the end of his loan tenure with Chelsea, the London-based team is contemplating a swap deal involving the Portuguese and two former Barcelona players, namely, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marc Cucurella, reports Evening Standard.
Chelsea are in the midst of a new managerial appointment and former PSG and Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino seems to be heading to Stamford Bridge.
As it turns out, the 51-year-old will have a big say in Chelsea’s transfer business, but the immediate future of Joao Felix is still unknown.
Now, it is no secret that Felix is enjoying life at Chelsea. During his side’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, where he scored his third Premier League goal, he showed off the Chelsea shirt in excitement as part of the celebration.
For Chelsea to sign Felix on a permanent deal, they must meet Atletico’s asking price of €100m and while they are quite enthusiastic about the Portuguese, they are not ready to splash this kind of fee.
So in order to reduce Felix’s asking price, Chelsea have proposed a swap deal after learning that Atletico Madrid are, in fact, interested in signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marc Cucurella.
As far as Aubameyang is concerned, he has signalled that he wants to rejoin Barcelona in the summer. “I would like to return to Barça too, but we’ll see what happens,” the former Arsenal forward was heard in a live video of a fan on the web.
At the same time, Felix has hinted that he wants to stay at Stamford Bridge. So in order to find a middle ground, super agent Jorge Mendes, who supposedly has a great influence in both Atletico and Chelsea’s transfer markets, will largely be involved in the deals.
As of today, talks between Atletico and Chelsea involving Felix, Aubameyang and, increasingly, Cucurella are ongoing and one can expect a firm outcome towards the end of the season.
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.
