Atletico Madrid invested more than €100m in their forward line last summer, but may be looking to strengthen their attack once again this coming summer. The latest in Spain is that they have been in touch with Espanyol captain Javi Puado.
The former Spain under-21 forward has been leading the line for Los Pericos this season as captain, having done so last season in their promotion push last year. The key element in their attack, the 26-year-old is out of contract this summer though, and appears to have decided against extending his deal at the RCDE Stadium.
According to Relevo, Atletico Madrid have reportedly contacted his camp to enquire about his situation, as they consider a move for him. So far that is as far as it has gone, but Los Rojiblancos are attracted by his versatility, age, and clearly the price point. A number of sides have shown interest in Puado over the last year. Sevilla were heavily linked with him before the turn of the year, while RCD Mallorca are also said to be keen on Puado.
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This season he has ten goals in 26 games for Los Pericos, topping their goalscoring charts and hoping to keep them up this season. Aside from a loan spell in 2019 at Real Zaragoza, Puado has so far spent his entire career in Cornella, generally operating from the left side of attack, although he has been employed all across the frontline, standing out for his pace.
Los Colchoneros are currently dealing with uncertainty in attack for next season, with Antoine Griezmann’s future yet to be defined. Angel Correa is another member of Diego Simeone’s options that could leave this summer, and certainly Atletico will want depth beyond Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez. Puado could be a useful addition in that sense, providing Simeone with options in different positions.
