Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid fearful that Chelsea will not buy on-loan forward, concern about form
Atletico Madrid are growing increasingly worried about the fact that Chelsea will send Joao Felix back to Madrid at the end of the season, as the Blues are not really satisfied with his performances.
Felix, who moved to Chelsea in January on loan for the rest of the season, extended his contract with the La Liga side for a further season, until June 2027, before departing in order to help the team remain inside the league’s salary cap.
While Felix’s initial run at Chelsea was decent, he has been without a goal and an assist in each of his last six outings. What is even more troubling is that since Frank Lampard’s arrival, the young Portuguese has only been used as a second-half substitute.
Given the situation at hand, journalist Francisco Jose Delgado has reported that Atletico are quite fearful about Chelsea’s intention of sending him back.
Now, a player who was once touted as a blessing has now turned into an unwanted commodity at Wanda Metropolitano. The team from the capital city understand that recovering the €127 million they paid for his services in 2019 is going to be difficult.
In turn, they are willing to settle for anywhere around €80 million. Now, if Chelsea do end up sending him back to Madrid, the only option for the Portuguese would be to join Newcastle United.
It must be remembered that the Premier League side enquired about his availability before his move to Stamford Bridge and those sitting in Atletico offices are hopeful that they can find him a new suitor in the summer.
On the flip side, if Atletico fail to offload him in June, lack of capital – that could be raised by his transfer – coupled with his salary will make life worse for Los Colchoneros as there will be no money left for the team to sign new players in the summer.
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.
