Atletico Madrid are desperate to keep their squad together this summer but Diego Simeone fears losing top stars Thomas Partey or Jan Oblak if their attractive buyout clauses are met, sources have told ESPN.
The club are in a more delicate financial situation than most amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the coach and his team taking a temporary 70% pay cut in April, and CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin said this week they’ll “make three or four changes at most” this summer.
Atletico’s real worry, though, is having to replace, or cope without, Partey – available for €50m and heavily linked with Arsenal – or Oblak, whose €120m clause hasn’t stopped Chelsea from taking an interest after losing faith in Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Atletico have suffered in recent years after setting affordable buyout clauses which big clubs have been happy to meet. A year ago, they lost the spine of the team — Antoine Griezmann to Barcelona for €120m, Rodri to Manchester City for €70m and Lucas Hernandez to Bayern for €80m — in one transfer window.
Their stance this summer is that no key player will be sold for less than his release clause, although that would be tested by a serious cash offer or a reasonable player exchange.
Source: Espn