Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has refused to discuss the possibility of signing Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata: “It is not the reality.”
Morata joined the Blues from Real Madrid in a €65m deal in the summer of 2017 but has struggled for form for the majority of his time in the English capital.
Reports say Morata will join Atleti on an 18-month loan deal for a €7.5m fee, while the club will also hold a €40m option to sign the Spain international permanently.
“It has not happened yet so it is not a reality,” Simeone told reporters on Friday, as cited by Marca.
“I will only talk about players who are at this club and if Morata does join us, then I will tell you what I think.”
Los Rojiblancos are at the limit of their capped wage at €293m per annum whilst the futures of forwards Nikola Kalinic and Gelson Martins – who is negotiating with Monaco – are said to be vulnerable.
Morata played for Atleti during his youth career and while Sevilla and Barcelona have both been linked to his signature this month, a move back to the Spanish capital now appears the most likely outcome.
