Atlético, attentive to Chelsea

Atlético will face a busy next summer in its squad. Suárez, Héctor Herrera, Felipe and Vrsaljko end their contracts with the rojiblanco club on June 30 and they are free from January to sign with any other team for the next course. At the moment, none have renewed and in the case of Herrera has already confirmed his signing with the Houston Dynamo.

And, when it comes to strengthening, Atlético will also depend on their income. Two players on loan have a relevant role in that economic balance that the rojiblanco club will seek. The first, a Morata who after two seasons on loan at Juventus is waiting for the Bianconero club to exercise its purchase option, estimated at 35 million. The Italians want to continue counting on the striker, but they intend to lower said figure. The second, a Saul who He went on loan to Chelsea on the last market day at the same time that Griezmann returned to the club.

And the English club was saved a purchase option that would be in the 40 million. The little prominence of the midfielder, who accumulates only 972 minutes between the 19 games he has participated, almost certainly foreshadowed that Chelsea would not exercise their opportunity. Now, the sanctions to which the British government has subjected the club for Roman Abramovich’s links with Vladimir Putin dleaves Londoners not knowing if they will be able to go to the market to sign, and in this specific case, if they could exercise the purchase option for a loanee such as Saúl.

Atlético remains waiting to find out the future of its youth squad. The rojiblanco club has also had approaches to César Azpilicueta, Chelsea captain whose contract ends in June. The new sanctions would also prevent the blues from carrying out contract extensions, although in the case of the Navarrese there is an automatic renewal option of a year in the event that the Spanish defender played 30 games this season. Beyond that, Barcelona seems to be by far in the lead to take over Azpilicueta if he ends up leaving Chelsea.