Atletico Madrid are still facing some uncertainty about various elements of their squad. As they pursue a midfielder to play at the base of their trio, it could lead to some unwanted casualties for Diego Simeone.
Simeone has confirmed that pivot position is their priority for the remaining month or so of their transfer window, while the likes of Marcos Llorente could still leave the club.
However two players that have been linked with an exit that Simeone does want to keep are Samuel Lino and Rodrigo Riquelme.
Lino comes from an inconsistent season at Valencia, where he was nonetheless crucial, and the 23-year-old has been linked with another loan or a permanent move for money.
💣🚨| BREAKING: Diego Simeone wants to keep Rodrigo Riquelme and Samuel Lino at all costs! He’s betting on their continuity, although there's fear that Atleti may need to sell one of the two.
The lack of funds to complete the signing of a midfielder forces them to sell an… pic.twitter.com/vaB7VZMTAN
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) August 2, 2023
Meanwhile Riquelme was not always a starter at Girona, but was highly impressive at times under Michel Sanchez. Both have been underlined as potential exits in case Atletico Madrid need to raise money from transfers, especially to fund that central midfielder.
Now Marca say that Simeone wants both of them on board next season, and note that that is the case in the dressing room too. In a 5-3-2, Cesar Azpilicueta would be used more as a central defender. Lino and Riquelme would be the alternates Yannick Carrasco and Nahuel Molina in the wide positions in this case.
For the vast majority of games, both should be capable of carrying out those roles, which are not natural to them. Javi Galan will also compete on the left side for that spot, but in bigger games where Atletico are pushed back, putting Riquelme and Lino up against other wingers might be problematic. While both are diligent workers, neither are natural defenders.
