Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid ‘very interested’ in signing struggling Barcelona attacker – report
Atletico Madrid made a raid on Barcelona in January to land the signing of Memphis Depay. And they might knock on the doors of the La Liga leaders come summer as SPORT reports that Los Rojiblancos are ‘very interested’ in signing Ferran Torres.
The 22-year-old Spaniard arrived at Spotify Camp Nou in January 2022, signing from Manchester City in a deal worth €55 million plus add-ons.
While he made a bright start to life as a Barcelona player, Torres has seen his prominence in the team decline gradually in the ongoing campaign.
Indeed, the forward has not started a single La Liga match since November, and considering the club’s financial problems, a sale in the summer remains a possibility.
And, Atletico Madrid are understood to be showing an interest in the 22-year-old’s services. The Rojiblancos could be in need of attacking reinforcements next summer as Joao Felix will likely be offloaded permanently while uncertainty looms over Alvaro Morata’s future as well.
Yannick Carrasco, too, is likely to leave, with Barcelona retaining a purchase option worth €20 million for the Belgian international.
Given the situation, Diego Simeone & co. will likely need to rope in a new forward and Torres has seemingly emerged as an option.
But the report from SPORT clarifies that while Torres’ situation at Barcelona is not favourable currently, the forward intends to turn his fortunes around at the club and succeed at Camp Nou.
As of now, the former Valencia forward has no desire to leave the club despite his lack of minutes and wishes to remain at Barça beyond the current campaign. So, whether Atletico Madrid can land the ex-Manchester City ace’s signing remains to be seen.
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.
Dan Burcea
February 12, 2023 at 10:11 am
Atletico Madrid’s interest in Ferran Torres must flatter him, given the bad form he has been showing since he came to Barcelona. Any offer over €30 million should be considered.