Atletico Madrid face two transfer calls on defensive star

Atletico Madrid are expecting a busy summer of transfer activity at the club either side of the FIFA Club World Cup.

With no UEFA Champions League commitments, Atletico Madrid’s season will wrap up on La Liga’s final day, currently scheduled for May 25.

Diego Simeone’s charges will then have a short break before flying out to the USA for the new-look summer tournament.

New faces are unlikely to be announced before the competition gets underway despite FIFA opening a window for new registrations and contract extensions.

It is within that ruling that Simeone faces his first summer call over option to temporarily extend contracts until the tournament is completed in July.

Reinildo Mandava, Axel Witsel and Cesar Azpilicueta are all out of contract at the end of June and would require a short-term extension to compete.

Decisions on their futures are unclear but Simeone wants to activate a clause to extend captain Koke’s bond until 2026.

As per reports from Diario AS, the major call for Simeone focuses on loan star Clement Lenglet, and the ongoing push to sign him permanently from Barcelona.

Atletico Madrid have two decisions to make, one short and one long-term, as they weigh up their next step on the Frenchman.

Simeone is hopeful Barcelona will agree an extension for the Club World Cup along the terms of the current wage sharing agreement.

However, with no purchase agreement in place for a full transfer, Barcelona could demand a significant fee with his contract in Catalonia expiring in 2026.

Due to Barcelona’s persistent financial issues, Atletico Madrid could push for a free transfer, with the final year of his contract cancelled – if they agree to pay part of a salary settlement.

Lenglet has started 18 La Liga games in 2024/25, the same as Robin Le Normand, with Jose Maria Gimenez on 16 – and Simeone is happy to rotate the trio as his starting centre backs for next season and beyond.