Atlético de Madrid continues planning its next season and has reportedly set its sights on one of the most promising defenders across the continent. Evidently, reinforcements are expected to arrive for all lines of the red-and-white team, marking a key moment to get closer to Europe's best. For example, at the Metropolitano, they are keeping an eye on a Gyökeres who is likely to leave this summer and was on the club's agenda last year.
However, the defense will be one of the major headaches for the sports management, as several departures are expected. In this situation, the roadmap is set to invest in young talents who can grow with Simeone and increase their market value. In this regard, there is one name that stands out above the rest and is also on Real Madrid's radar for the next season.
A Rising Talent for Simeone
The goal at Atlético de Madrid is to continue with the same planning initiated to strengthen the squad this season, which has yielded good results. In defense, they would seek at least two new center-backs to replace Axel Witsel and César Azpilicueta, who are out of contract. One of the favorites would be Zeno Debast, a 21-year-old Belgian defender and a key piece at Sporting de Portugal after arriving from Anderlecht.
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The player stands out for his height, in addition to being a versatile figure, being a regular in his country's national team despite his young age. He has a market value of 24 million euros and has accumulated over 2,000 minutes with the Portuguese team, clearly being a key piece in the line-up. His release price would be between 25 and 30 million, an affordable amount for the red-and-white team considering other options.
Hand in Hand with Gyökeres
The Swedish forward, a star at Sporting de Portugal, is also among the main desires of Atlético de Madrid, although his price will be higher. According to transfer specialist journalist Ekrem Konur, the red-and-whites are closely following him, as he is a strategic reinforcement that would provide a lot of reliability to the defense for several years. The center-back has also been linked with Real Madrid, where the defense has suffered losses due to injuries in recent seasons, although no moves have been made.
Barring any surprises, everything seems to indicate that Axel Witsel and César Azpilicueta will not renew their contracts and would leave the squad as free agents. In the case of the Belgian, several sources had revealed that he was considering retirement after a season where he hasn't had much prominence. The Navarrese is having more relevance in Simeone's plans, especially on the left side, but that position is also expected to be reinforced this summer.