Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico has revealed Atletico Madrid made an attempt to sign him over the summer.
Filipe Luis and Lucas Hernandez both left Los Rojiblancos this summer and the club needed to upgrade their left full-back position, with Brazilian Renan Lodi signed.
Arsenal and Real Madrid were also said to also be keen on a move for the Argentine, who is valued at €20m – but they ended up landing Kieran Tierney and Ferland Mendy respectively.
“We decided to stay one further year because at the time it was the most convenient thing,” Tagliafico told Cadena Cope.
“I did not want to push the situation between me and Ajax so I decided to stay another year and we shall see next year.”
Tagliafico, 27, joined Ajax from Independiente in January 2018 in a deal worth just €4m while he previously spent the 2012/13 campaign on loan in Spain with Real Murcia.
The Argentine has been a key figure for the Amsterdam club in helping them to land the Eredivisie title last season and also to the semi-finals of the Champions League.
