With the media jumping all over Simeone’s comments from the post-match press conference in Milan, further reports are now surfacing that ‘clarify’ Cholo’s position.
According to AS, the man who has turned Atlético’s fortunes around believes that his time at Atlético may have come to an end, after taking the club as far as he can.
The efforts to compete with both Barcelona and Real Madrid and reach another Champions League final again are allegedly too much to ask.
The supposed remedy? The ability to sign world class players.
Atlético has already proven that it can attract the planet’s best talent, but being able to pull off the deal has been something the club has always struggled with.
Cholo has reportedly asked for the financial muscle to be able to put together a squad that can compete with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
“Simeone believes that the growth the club has experienced since his arrival in 2011 should be relfected in the economic plan and the money should be available for top signings,” reads the AS report.
The world’s top strikers
Atlético’s attack is a particular concern, with the signing of Jackson Martinez from Porto last summer doing nothing to improve the rojiblanco front-line. The Colombian has since been shipped off to China, with €42 million now burning a hole in the Atlético pocket.
It is well-rumoured that Diego Costa would love a return to Madrid with Atlético, whilst our own Diego Godín has been tapping up Edison Cavani for the better part of the last year.
“Cavani loves Atletico and their way of playing,” Godín was quoted as saying in ESPN, “because it is very similar to the way we play with the Uruguay national team. He would be delighted to come here. I will not talk about wages, although I know he would be happy.”
However the problem isn’t with attracting the big-names, the challenge is showing clubs like Chelsea and PSG enough money to let their top talents go. Backed by billionaires, their wage structures are already in another stratosphere to Atleti.
It looks to be true that Nico Gaitán is on his way from Benfica, after topping Cholo’s wish-list last summer, but while a welcome signing – prising him away from the Portugese league is not the type of statement Diego Simeone wants to make.
It seems as if the Argentine coach wants to step up and take one of our rivals’ shining stars. That means a signing like a Cavani or a Costa – one of the top strikers in one of Europe’s top leagues.
Do you think Cholo’s post-match press conference was an ill-thought out threat to the bosses?
Should we depart from our strategy of buying promising players from smaller leagues?