Atletico Madrid are in fine form currently, and looking to mount a La Liga title challenge as things stand, but they may have to fight off an attempt to poach one of their star players in the winter.
Links between Juventus and Rodrigo de Paul have been frequent over the past 12 months, although seemingly without much progress for La Vecchia Signora. Now with Nicolo Fagioli and Paul Pogba suspended until the end of the season, Massimiliano Allegri is short of options in midfield, and Juventus may go after de Paul as a result.
As per TS, via Football Italia, Juventus have arranged a meeting with de Paul’s agent, Augustin Jimenez for December. They will look for a loan deal with substantial option to buy, but the terms of the deal auger well for Los Rojiblancos. They say de Paul would likely have to join for less money than his €6.5m per annum at Atletico.
The fee for an obligation to buy would in all probability have to be in excess of the €35m they paid for him, and given Diego Simeone’s progress in La Liga, he will be reluctant to lose one of his key assets.
Perhaps the only small chance of Atletico considering a sale runs through Pablo Barrios and Saul Niguez. The former continues to rise to every challenge he is set, while the return to form for Saul has been one of the stories of the season. Only if Los Colchoneros consider they have sufficient resources to then make a lucrative sale might they agree to a move.
