AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez is on the hunt for a new club, but while he wants a comeback to the Spanish capital, it doesn’t look like it will come to anything. The 27-year-old full-back is on his way out of Milan, with only one year left on his contract.
Milan want to make money on Hernandez after failing to qualify for European football, and had agreed a transfer for him, but the left-back turned down an offer from Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, Italian media reported that a deal with Atletico was in place, but that doesn’t seem to be true.
Read: Clapped and ready for another Manchester United signing
Conflicting reports in Italy and Spain
Throughout the transfer saga, the Italian media have been far more optimistic than the Spanish ones. Some claimed as recently as yesterday that Atletico had increased their bid for Hernandez, while Spanish sources insisted that only preliminary talks had taken place.
Now, Cadena Cope and several other Spanish media outlets report that Atletico have shelved the Hernandez case. One of the reasons was negative feedback from the supporters, but they were also uncertain about the financial terms of a possible deal.
Left-back at the top of Atletico’s wishlist
Atletico Madrid are prioritising the signings of Alex Baena and Cristian Romero this summer, but after these two, a left-back is second on the list. Diego Simeone was not convinced by either Javi Galan or Reinildo Mandava last year, and is eager to strengthen this position.
Atletico Betting System
An open question is whether Simeone wants a traditional left-back, or a more attacking solution that can function as a wing-back in a system of three centre-backs. Samuel Lino was used in this role at times, but it was rumoured that Atletico could consider offers for him.
Read on F7: Alcaraz vs Sinner: Was this the biggest tennis match of the decade?
