Celta Vigo talisman Iago Aspas has confirmed that Atletico Madrid wanted to sign him last season.
Aspas revealed that Atletico were interested in signing him to replace Antoine Griezmann before deciding on Joao Felix, the Portuguese they’d spend €127m on to bring to the Wanda Metropolitano.
He was speaking to Cadena SER’s Carrusel Deportivo in comments carried by Marca.
Aspas had been asked of the interest and wasn’t shy about confirming it. “Did Atletico’s interest get to me? Yes, it got to me,” he said.
“I knew there was something because my brother and my agent told me about it, but it didn’t come to anything in the end.”
Aspas was clear in conveying how content he was to be playing for Celta in any case. “I’m very happy at home,” he said.
“I have a very good relationship with Andrea Berta. I’ve talked to him about football for some time and I have his phone number.”
Born and raised in Galicia, Aspas came through the Celta youth system before joining Liverpool in 2013 for a largely unsuccessful two-year spell, part of which was spent on loan at Sevilla.
He returned to Galicia with Celta in 2015 and has remained there ever since, serving as a keystone of the team.
Featured image courtesy of Get Spanish Football News.