Atletico Madrid are back in the Champions League quarter-finals after going out in the group stage last season, but with Los Rojiblancos sitting fifth in La Liga with nine games to go, their place in the competition next season is not assured. Los Colchoneros have time to work that out, but it looks as if big changes could be on the horizon this summer.
Coming into this season, many had tipped Atletico to be dark horses for the title, but Atleti have flattered to deceive, despite some big performances against Real Madrid and Inter at home. According to Ruben Uria, manager Diego Simeone has demanded a major revamp of the squad in the summer, including two central defenders, a right-back, a midfielder and a forward.
🚨 Diego Simeone’s priorities for this summer:
– 2 dominant center-backs
– a midfielder
– a striker
– a decent right-back[🥇: @rubenuria] pic.twitter.com/woOJXn5Jfz
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 19, 2024
One of the forwards that Atletico are working on bringing in is Paris Saint-Germain’s Goncalo Ramos. The 22-year-old has been a bit-part player this season under Luis Enrique, but did cost the French giants €65m last summer, and seems unlikely to be cheap. However there is no guarantee he is in for more game time next season, with Randal Kolo Muani ahead of him in the pecking order, even if Kylian Mbappe leaves.
🚨🇵🇹 BREAKING: Atlético Madrid has shown interest in acquiring PSG's striker, Gonçalo Ramos. The club is actively pursuing this opportunity and has initiated contact with the player.
🥇Via @rubenuria’s Twitch stream. pic.twitter.com/6QAvkoB99I
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) March 18, 2024
Exactly how much money Los Rojiblancos will have available for this rebuild is unclear. Atletico have been frugal in recent years, their biggest spends going on Rodrigo de Paul, but almost all of their squad are for sale this summer for the right price. Outside of youngsters they want to build around, such as Samuel Lino, Pablo Barrios or even loaned out Samu Omorodion, there are no clear candidates for major sales this summer.
