Kieran Trippier’s move to Newcastle United could kick off a series of events that sees Atletico Madrid beat Barcelona to the signing of Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea according to Mundo Deportivo.
Tripper said his goodbyes to the Atletico support following their defeat of Rayo Vallecano at the weekend and is on the verge of returning to England to join Newcastle United.
In response to this, Diego Simeone has made it clear that Trippier needs to be replaced. A right-back who can also operate centrally is his number one target, and Azpilicueta fits this profile.
Azpilicueta’s contract with Chelsea will expire this summer, and he had been linked with a move to Barcelona. But Atletico could trump their Catalan rivals by securing him this January transfer window as opposed to signing him on a free transfer.
He isn’t the only name on Atletico’s shopping list, however. Others like Nelson Semedo and Pedro Porro are also being considered even if they don’t fit Simeone’s specifications like Azpilicueta.
