Strong words from Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta who says that the Spanish side should be able to keep Diego Costa for at least another year despite their perilous financial situation.
Premier League sides are lining up for the chance to sign Costa, Koke and Arda Turan but but Berta told Italian channel Tele Radio Stereo recent successes should mean the pressure to sell has decreased despite the club’s 400 million euro debts.
“Atletico is a club which, due to its nature, must sell every year,” Berta said. “[But] we believe we can have our players at least one year more.”
While Berta and Atletico coach Diego Simeone will want to keep onto their players as long as possible the truth is that their stars have reasonably low buyout clauses that Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal can and will activate. At that point it is a matter of the player(s) deciding whether they want to stay in Spain, or take the big money move to the Premier League.
If Atletico can hold onto their stars during the January transfer window I will consider that a high success for them. I cannot see them holding off the Premier League sides this summer.
That being said Simeone has done a brilliant job at Atletico and I don’t understand why a top top club has not snapped him up. As a manager Simeone won the Argentine Primera División twice and in the last two seasons in Spain he has won the Copa del Rey, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup. This season he has his side tied with Barcelona at the top of La Liga and into the Champions League knockout stages.
