Atletico Madrid have been heavily linked with Villarreal striker Alexander Sorloth, after missing out on the only player to have scored more goals than him in La Liga last season, Artem Dovbyk. However Villarreal are not willing to give him up without a fight.
The most recent reports suggest that a deal is on the verge of being done with Villarreal for Sorloth, with Los Rojiblancos footing a €35m bill for the Norwegian. The hold up was supposedly while Villarreal settled on a replacement for Sorloth, but Sporting Director Miguel Angel Tena has poured cold water on that idea.
“The market is the same for everyone. That we would all like to have the squad closed on the first day of the season is what we want, but that is very complicated because fromthe 17th of August to the 1st of September, there are many days. We are working, the time periods must be respected, the needs are clear to us. Sorloth is a Villarreal player and we are not looking for a replacement, and from there we will continue working,” he told Diario AS.
💣🚨 BREAKING: Carlos Martin has been registered as a first team Atlético Madrid player in La Liga.
[via @Objetivoatleti] pic.twitter.com/emUv4vcxl4
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Tena would go on to say that he was sad that Filip Jorgensen had gone to Chelsea, because they had hoped to have him many more years, while also confirming that defender Jorge Cuenca was traveling to meet up with Fulham as he seals a move to London too.
If Sorloth were to leave, the Yellow Submarine would certainly be in need of a forward. Gerard Moreno is their only other option centrally, and he generally likes to operate from wider or off a main striker, rather than as a lone frontman.
