Atletico Madrid will not sign Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi but instead are considering Daley Blind of Ajax, say reports.
El Mundo Deportivo claim the Dutch international – formerly of Manchester United – is Atleti’s ‘Plan B’ after opting against signing Espanyol’s Mario Hermoso, who has a €40m release clause.
Los Rojiblancos sporting director Andrea Berta was said to have been monitoring a number of defenders and is already putting the groundwork in place should a deal for Blind come to fruition.
Blind is said to be an ideal fit as he would be able to cover both the left-back and centre-half positions, in a similar role to Lucas Hernandez – who joined Bayern Munich in an €80m deal.
Otamendi is viewed differently with his strengths being his aerial ability and strength and had been viewed as more of a replacement for outgoing captain Diego Godin.
The Argentine defender joined City from Valencia in the summer of 2015 for €45m and has helped the club to two league titles since but is said to be available for transfer this summer.
