Atletico Madrid are hoping to be relatively busy in the final days of the winter transfer window, with a new midfielder wanted for Diego Simeone’s squad. However, there could also be a departure or two in the same position, with Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo De Paul having been speculated upon in recent days.
Lemar is out of favour at Atleti, and the club is hoping to get his wages off the books. De Paul’s situation is different as he is considered to be a very important player, but he has recently attracted Premier League interest.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Atleti had knocked back an offer from West Ham United, believed to be in the region of €25m. Los Colchoneros have no plans to part ways, and the Argentine midfielder is also not thinking about leaving, as he told the media in a press conference on Tuesday (via MD).
“I always think about short-term goals. It would be a mistake to think beyond tomorrow’s game. We want to compete in all competitions. The energy and my head is set on tomorrow. I think I have always felt and they have made me feel an important part of the team. In the groups, everyone has a role and they try to fulfil it. I have never settled in my career and I’m not going to. I feel comfortable and happy. When the work and the people value you it feels satisfying, but the most important thing is how Atleti is doing – and we are doing very well.”
De Paul is only under contract at Atletico Madrid until the end of next season, so it would be no surprise to see negotiations opened between the two parties in the coming months, given that Los Colchoneros will not want to lose one of their key midfielders for a reduced price in the summer.
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