This could be one of the seasons in which Atlético de Madrid has the most competitive squad. The sporting management has made some great signings so far and Simeone has a very complete team to compete in all tournaments. However, it is clear that there are players who, a priori, start out as theoretical substitutes for the start of the season.
One of them is Rodrigo Riquelme , who has not yet decided which will be his role in the team from Madrid this season. He was a starter in the first friendly against Numancia , starting alongside Ángel Correa in the attacking duo, scoring the first goal. However, it does not seem that this will be his usual position, as Simeone has shown in the other two matches played so far.
Unknown with Rodrigo Riquelme
The Atletico youth player is one of the players who generates the most expectation among the fans, although he has not yet exploded. Last season, Riquelme had to adapt to the left-back position where he competed with Samuel Lino and Javi Galán . The Brazilian was the one who convinced Simeone the most and became an undisputed pillar throughout the season, being named the best player of the previous season.
This summer has left some clues about what the role of the Spanish midfielder will be, especially after three friendlies played. Against Numancia, Riquelme acted as a striker alongside Ángel Correa , although the squad was very short at that time. In the rest of the matches, Simeone returned him to the left wing in all of them, although in both he started from the bench as a substitute.
Given this situation, it is easy to assume that Riquelme is not one of the important pieces for Atlético de Madrid . In fact, it must be taken into account that the transfer market is still open and Roma have not yet forgotten about the Spaniard. The Italian club has been working for some time to make the red-and-white team a satisfactory offer for Riquelme.
An interest from Italy
At the moment, Atlético de Madrid has no intention of letting go of its youth player, unless an acceptable offer comes in. Last summer, it was Manchester City that sounded out a possible offer to sign the player. However, the sporting management had a lot of faith in Riquelme and did not facilitate his departure to England , even though the offer was good.
Now, after a somewhat irregular season and knowing that he will start as a substitute, the scenario could change radically in the coming weeks. His asking price is not expected to fall below 30 million euros , regardless of the team that is interested in his transfer. In the meantime, Riquelme will continue training under Simeone and will try to convince him to be more of a protagonist than last season.