Atletico Madrid eyeing move for Manchester City defender Otamendi
The Argentine is not happy with his situation at the English club
Atletico Madrid need to strengthen in defence and Diego Simeone has asked for the signing of Manchester City and Argentine centre-back Nicolas Otamendi.
It will not be easy to bring Otamendi in from City, with a number of clubs keen on him and the Premier League side likely to demand a big fee.
With Lucas Hernandez's move to Bayern Munich confirmed and Diego Godin set to move to Inter, Atletico are obliged to move in the market.
The first to arrive will be Felipe, the Porto centre-back who will cost 25 million euros. But despite that signing, the Rojiblanco will still need more bodies, which is where Otamendi, who previously played in Spain with Valencia, comes into the picture.
According to Diario AS, Andrea Berta, Atletico's sporting director, has already began talks with the player's agent, Jorge Mendes.
Also keen on the City man are River Plate, West Ham and Valencia... Barça have even been linked in the past. It won't be easy to get a deal done.
Another problem for Atletico is finances. City signed Otamendi for 45 million euros and when he renewed his deal in Manchester he became one of the best paid players in the Premier League. Atletico and the player would have to come to an agreement on his wages, therefore.
For now, Otamendi has a deal at the Etihad Stadium until 2022, but Pep Guardiola's admitted he's not happy: "When he plays he's happy, when he doesn't, he's not. But it's not just Otamendi, it's the same for all players. I don't know what I can do. I am honest with myself and with my players.
"Of course, when he doesn't play he isn't happy. But we know we can count on Nico at any moment and in any situation because he is an incredible professional and is always readyy. I am delighted with him. I understand him but I can't say anything else."
