Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid have completed their player registrations for La Liga
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid are raring to go ahead of the new season. The men in red-and-white were imperious in the pre-season, winning all four games, including a thumping 4-0 victory over Juventus.
However, the great results leading up to the league did not hide the fact that the club were struggling on the economic front.
While they had almost the entire squad registered with La Liga, questions were asked about the two registrations that Atletico had not yet completed, that of Antoine Griezmann and Felipe.
The club offices burned the midnight oil to complete the pending procedure. Now, both Griezmann and Felipe have been registered as Atletico Madrid players for the upcoming season, as revealed on the official La Liga website.
The Frenchman’s registration was only a question of accommodating his wages within the league limits. However, Felipe’s case was more concerning.
The Brazilian’s contract included an automatic renewal clause in case he participated in a certain number of games. Though the 33-year-old met the requirements, the club did not officially announce that his contract had been extended.
Nevertheless, Felipe’s registration itself serves as an announcement of his extension. The centre-back will continue to wear the number 18 in the coming season.
Last year, Felipe made 26 appearances for the club in La Liga, averaging over eight defensive actions per game. However, he only oversaw one clean sheet in that duration.
Meanwhile, Griezmann is in his second year on loan at the club and will be looking to make a big impact. Last season, he was only involved in eight league goals for Los Rojiblancos, a figure that is underwhelming given his astronomical standards.
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.
