A report in Marca claims Atletico Madrid are once more chasing Portuguese international striker Hugo Almeida.
Los Rojiblancos were purportedly interested in the 29-year-old back in January 2012 when they had sent Diego Costa out on loan to Rayo Vallecano, but eventually plumped for Benfica’s Eduardo Salvio instead.
Now, however, they are planning to strengthen their attacking options by linking the Besiktas player up with Costa and David Villa as boss Diego Simeone seeks to bolster his frontline, with qualification for the next stage of the Champions League already assured.
Almeida joined the Turkish outfit in December 2010 from Werder Bremen but has rejected the offer of a two-year extension to his existing contract, which runs out in June 2014, and is seen as a viable option for the capital club.
Another deciding factor could be that 50 per cent of the player belongs to Gestifute, a company represented by well-known agent Jorge Mendes, with whom Atleti chief executive Miguel Angel Gil has an excellent relationship.
