Atletico Madrid News
Tottenham Hotspur considering summer move for Atletico Madrid defender
Atletico Madrid might have a hard time keeping Mario Hermoso at Wanda Metropolitano beyond the ongoing season as Mundo Deportivo has claimed that the 26-year-old is being considered by Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Hermoso’s situation at Atletico has been quite tricky. Despite being available for selection, the Madrid-born defender has made it to the starting XI in just one of his side’s last eight encounters.
It’s pretty much evident that Diego Simeone prefers playing an ageing Felipe, and in all fairness, the manager has his fair share of reasons. He slotted Hermoso into the back-three in a 0-0 draw against Granada, but that was only because Felipe was unavailable for selection.
Come Saturday, when the team face Athletic Club away from home, Hermoso is expected to get another start since Jose Gimenez is out injured.
Hermoso’s situation represents a rather despondent turn of events. While his versatility also allows him to play as a left-back, the growing stature of Reinildo has forced the 26-year-old to spend most of his time on the bench instead.
It’s not that things have been the same since the beginning. In fact, Hermoso started most of the matches in the first half of the season, but the numbers started to decline since matchday 23, against Barcelona. Between February 2 to April 20, the defender has started just two matches for the team.
Between the Barcelona game in February and the recent 0-0 draw against Granada, Hermoso has clocked a mere 39 minutes in three matches.
That lack of playing minutes, however, hasn’t deterred his ambition to play for Atletico. The player is, in fact, working tirelessly to get his position back, but all that can change if Tottenham come up with a strong offer in the summer.
Hermoso, who has a contract until 2024, is personally very happy at Atletico, but the fact remains his situation lures Tottenham to make an offer as they seek to acquire a left-footed defender in the summer.
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.
