Atletico Madrid News
Leicester City defensive ace close to joining Atletico Madrid on a free transfer
Fourteen games into the season, Atletico Madrid sit in fifth place on the La Liga table with seven wins and 24 points to their name.
Their start to the new campaign has been abysmal, to say the least, and is perfectly exemplified by their 13-point gap with the league leaders and their disastrous run in the UEFA Champions League.
Los Rojiblancos hold a reputation for being defensively sound and resilient. Yet, their record of fourteen goals conceded in as many league games does not quite reflect the same.
It is clear that the team’s defence is no longer as well-organised as in previous years. Recognising the void in his squad, Diego Simeone is said to be looking for defensive recruits, and Caglar Soyuncu is one of the names on that list.
According to reports from MARCA, the Turkish International is close to signing with Atletico Madrid. However, the club have not yet decided when to sign him.
As it stands, Soyuncu could well join the Madrid-based side only in the summer once his contract runs out. He would thus be available on a free deal, a situation Atletico Madrid wish to exploit.
However, the youngster may join as early as the coming winter window if two centre-backs depart in the coming weeks. Felipe and Mario Hermoso have both been linked with exits, and the aforementioned scenario may be as unrealistic as one expects and would involve a small fee.
Atletico Madrid has an edge over any Premier League club wishing to sign the player as he can only sign a pre-contract with a non-Premier League side until his deal runs out in June.
Soyuncu has only started one league game for Leicester City this season, and it is clear that Brendan Rodgers doesn’t fancy his services. Needless to say, a switch to Madrid could do the trick given Diego Simeone’s excellent record at nurturing defenders.
Atletico Madrid News
Atletico Madrid monitoring teenage striker with €40 million release clause – Romano
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Atletico Madrid are among the clubs monitoring the progress of UD Almeria striker Marciano Sanca.
The 19-year-old Guinea-Bissau forward joined Almeria from Portuguese outfit Leixoes in January last year, linking up with the club’s B team.
Marciano has made three league appearances Almeria’s reserve team and has not scored a goal yet. The teenager has been training with the first-team setup regularly and Romano claims that he is close to making his debut in La Liga.
While he might not have made a splash at the senior level yet, Marciano seems to be already gathering admirers with Atletico Madrid, Villarreal and Brighton & Hove Albion said to be tracking the youngster.
Los Rojiblancos are set to enter the market for a new centre-forward as Joao Felix is expected to be sold permanently while Alvaro Morata’s future is also not entirely certain.
So even though Diego Simeone has Memphis Depay, Angel Correa, and Morata at his disposal, Atletico Madrid will dive into the market for a new striker with there being links to Mateo Retegui of Boca Juniors, currently on loan at Tigre.
Now, Marciano has also emerged as a potential target or Atletico Madrid, although signing him will not be easy in the summer.
Even though the 19-year-old’s contract expires in 2024, he is bound by a release clause worth €40 million and Almeria intend to keep him at the club beyond this season.
So, the La Liga club might hold out for the entire release clause amount in order to stave off potential suitors like Atletico Madrid, who are not in a position to make such an investment on an unproven youngster.
