Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid interested in signing 20-year-old Bundesliga centre-back in January
The upcoming January transfer window is set to be an extremely crucial one for Atletico Madrid as they look to resuscitate their drowning campaign.
Considering the club’s financial situation, signing new players will be dependent on their ability to sell some of their current stars. Names like Joao Felix, Matheus Cunha, Felipe, Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Lemar could be moved on to make room for fresh arrivals.
And according to Diario AS, a new centre-back is said to be at the top of the agenda for Atletico Madrid heading into the summer, with Bayer Leverkusen ace Piero Hincapie a player that manager Diego Simeone likes a lot.
The 20-year-old centre-half has been with the Bundesliga club since 2021 when he arrived from CA Talleres. He has quickly become a key part of the setup at Leverkusen and has emerged as one of the most promising young defenders plying their trade in Germany.
Atletico, known for their defensive solidity, have been all over the park at the back this season.
Jose Maria Gimenez continues to be hampered by fitness woes while the likes of Felipe and Mario Hermoso have not been convincing enough. With the former likely to be offloaded in January, a new player could be brought in at centre-back.
Hincapie has a contract with Leverkusen until 2026 and the report indicates that the German club would be open to selling the Ecuadorian international after the World Cup, more so if he has a strong run in Qatar, which could boost up his value further.
But Atletico Madrid’s financial issues mean that they will have to draw a line with regard to how much they are willing to spend on the defender.
Apart from a centre-back, a new right-back is also said to be on the agenda at the Civitas Metropolitano due to the struggles of summer signing Nahuel Molina.
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.
