Atletico Madrid News
Chelsea could move for Atletico Madrid superstar if they appoint Luis Enrique as manager
There is no sense of stability at Chelsea on the administrative side. The London-based side sacked Thomas Tuchel to bring in Graham Potter as the new manager, only to go downhill and sack the new manager as well.
Frank Lampard has taken over as the caretaker manager until the end of the season, and the club are on the hunt for a new coach come June. Former Spain and Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is one of the best-placed candidates to take over.
According to reports from Nizaar Kinsella, Enrique’s first move, if he were to join Chelsea, would not be well received by the Civitas Metropolitano.
Enrique highly values the Colchoneros‘ shot-stopper Jan Oblak and will push Chelsea to sign him if he is to become their next manager.
Over the years, the Slovenian international has proven to be one of La Liga’s finest goalkeepers and has been in the debate of being one of the best in the world.
This season, Oblak has started 26 La Liga games for Los Rojiblancos and has overseen 11 clean sheets in that duration. At 0.7 goals conceded per game, his tally is only bettered by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who has been having a special season. Additionally, the Atleti goalkeeper averages 2.2 saves per game.
His contract with the club runs until the summer of 2028 and renders a transfer difficult unless Chelsea are willing to spend a fortune on his signature. However, given the Blues’ record in recent transfer windows, money is the least of their concerns.
The news is right now nothing more than mere speculation, for Enrique has not yet been appointed the manager at Stamford Bridge. Yet, if all the cards were to play out in the aforementioned manner, it would be a colossal loss for Diego Simeone’s side.
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.
