Is he in or is he out?
That’s the question Atlético supporters have been posing since the final whistle blew at the end of the season with regard to unanimous fan favourite and playmaker Diego.
With the midfielder’s one-year loan from Wolfsburg having expired, his future has been the subject of rampant speculation throughout the off-season.
The former Juventus man’s rumoured destination alternates – on a weekly (and sometimes daily) basis – between a return to Wolfsburg and an extended stay in Madrid.
German paper Bild reported on Monday that Diego would be re-joining Die Wölfe at the beginning of next week for training, with the Brazilian supposedly having phoned Felix Magath to inform the coach he is “open to everything”.
Magath told the sports daily that Diego would be taking part in friendlies with the club during the pre-season, while Bild claim the 27-year-old is almost certain to be off-loaded–though Atleti were not mentioned as a possible landing-place for the footballer.
Meanwhile, AS reports early Tuesday that Rojiblanco sporting director José Luis Pérez Caminero is still contemplating the possibility of retaining the leader in assists of our Europa League-winning campaign, but only if Eduardo Salvio is sold to help cover Wolfsburg’s €12 million asking price for Diego.
Porto, Benfica and Fiorentina are rumoured suitors for the Argentine attacker’s services.
But Atleti’s current priority, according to the Spanish paper, is to cash in on our more marketable merchandise in Raúl García, Rúben Micael, Álvaro Domínguez and Diego Costa, who will all apparently be leaving the club for good this summer.
Defender Domínguez will reportedly be the first to depart, with a deal with Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach – who have purportedly offered €8 million for the Atleti youth product – said to be in the works.
Los Rojiblancos apparently want €10 million for the young centre-back, but a final sale price could be agreed upon within the coming days.
One would think this would mean Diego Godín will be suiting up in red and white for another term, however, AS claim Atlético would be willing to part ways with the Uruguayan if a juicy offer for the defender comes our way.