Lucas Boye for Luis Suarez. That is the change that Atlético de Madrid is preparing for its attack. The operation is planned for next season, although the brilliant performances of the Argentine striker from Elche, his termination clause (25 million euros) and the large number of suitors he has, including FC Barcelona, can precipitate events.
Elche does not want Lucas Boyé to leave. He is a fundamental piece for the coach Francisco Rodríguez and his departure would leave the team’s attack touched, counting on the fact that the also Argentine Darío ‘Pipa’ Benedetto left last week for Boca Juniors. Lucas Pérez, Guido Carrillo and Pere Milla would remain as alternatives.
Christian Bragarnik, owner of Elche, does not even want to hear about offers: clause or nothing. And if it’s summer, even better. In any case, he cannot do anything because any team with the money in mind can execute the clause to release the Argentine forward’s contract. There are not many scorers on the market and the big ones have begun to make a move.
Boyé costs 25 million euros and its price is the same now as in the summer, unless Elche goes down. In that case, its price would be lowered by 10 million euros. For this reason, if Atleti agrees with the Argentine and does not need to immediately incorporate him into its squad, it could wait until the end of the season to execute the operation; although he is not willing to pass up the option of signing one of the best strikers in the League and whose style adapts like a glove to Cholo Simeone’s game.
Lucas Boye, 25, adds seven goals in the 17 games he has played. He has only missed five games due to ankle discomfort and COVID. In the last two league games, against Villarreal and Real Madrid, he scored. The whites can give thanks for not having faced him in the Cup duel in which they were against the ropes.
Bragarnik opted for Boyé when he had fallen into oblivion. First he brought him on loan and when the campaign ended paid just over two million euros to keep it in property. Very young he began to offer glimpses of a good player and scorer in Argentina, first in River and then in Newells. Very young he came to Europe to sign for Torino and go on loan to Celta, AEK Athens and Reading. Nowhere did he perform like in Elche, where he has been a fixture for all the coaches and has already scored 14 goals in the season and a half he has been in the First Division.
The owner of Elche improved his contract and raised his clause at the beginning of the season to increase his clause to 25 million euros, a figure that despite being important may fall short for the talent of Lucas Boyé.