Atletico Madrid on the verge of signing young central defender Santiago Mourino, according to multiple reports. The 21-year-old Uruguayan looks set to join Los Colchoneros after Racing Montevideo confirmed that he could leave the club.
Marca say the deal could happen in the coming hours, with Atletico looking to bring in a raw talent from the Uruguayan league. He has previously been compared to Ronald Araujo, and stands out for his strength.
The plan is for Mourino to leave the club on loan next season. Diario AS even say that he is unlikely to spend any of the preseason with Atletico, instead heading out immediately. They point two Atletico San Luis in Mexico as a potential destination, a club that partner with Los Rojiblancos. He may end up closer to home, with Real Zaragoza interested in taking him on loan.
Zaragoza brought Victor Mollejo and Giuliano Simeone to La Romareda on loan this season, and while there is no official relationship, both clubs seem happy to work together.
One of the criticisms of Simeone has been that he does not bring through enough young players, and Mourino is clearly part of a concerted effort in order to change that, along with the likes of Samuel Lino, Rodrigo Riquelme and Pablo Barrios, who all have a chance at being in the first team next season.
