Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has made a bold claim about the current football transfer landscape.
Los Rojoblancos have operated below the radar in the summer transfer window as Diego Simeone looks to rebuild his squad ahead of the new campaign.
Gil has insisted Simeone will continue to be given funds to reinforce his options in the coming months but the picture is complicated in Madrid.
The 60-year-old has offered an update on Atletico’s transfer plans, confirming three planned arrivals, including a new midfielder as a priority.
However, the challenge faced by Atletico, and other Spanish teams, has been exasperated by the huge player recruitment drive in Saudi Arabia.
Europe-based stars have been offer huge contracts to move to the Middle East and Gil believes the financial offers available have fundamentally altered the market.
“Currently, the Premier League and the new market in Saudi Arabia have distorted the reality of the market and that makes our position difficult”, as per reports from Marca.
“Football is evolving as an attractive sector for large investment, and this is seen by the purchase of clubs by American investment funds, and the sovereign wealth funds of Middle Eastern countries.”
Atletico have spent just £6.5m so far this summer with Simeone bringing in Javi Galan and Santiago Mourino alongside free transfer moves from the Premier League.
