Atlético Madrid are in talks with the Juventus striker Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian helped Juve to the Serie A title and the Champions League final this season and Atlético are on the alert with speculation in Italy and Spain that he is looking to leave.
“I know the club is speaking with his agent,” their coach Diego Simeone said. “It is always good to have a player like Tevez. He is hot-blooded, which is a healthy part of this sport, and that is aside from how many goals he is able to score in a season.
“He would be a perfect signing considering the football that Atlético Madrid play.”
The Spaniards are looking to boost their forward line and Tevez, formerly of West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, would fit into their hard-working style.
They lost Diego Costa to Chelsea last year and while Antoine Griezmann has come in and done well, the club was hoping for more from the Croat Mario Mandzukic.
“He [Mandzukic] is a good player and a good guy,” said Simeone. “He himself was unhappy at the way he was unable to continue performing how he had done up to February. I said to him: ‘We have to beat the record that you had at Bayern of 28 goals,’ but he was unable to unfortunately.”
Villarreal’s Luciano Vietto is another target for Simeone who gave him his debut at the Argentinian side Racing Club.
“We are close and I hope to have him for next season because for me he has extraordinary ability in combining going forward,” said Simeone.
“I think that he is very similar to [David] Villa when he started off, without being the goalscorer that was the Spanish forward, but with the movement in the buildup which is very difficult to see in football at the moment.
“He is very tactical and has done very well at Villarreal. As a kid I know him very well because he was with me at Racing and I put him in the first team. I hope he comes because he would be an important signing.”
Atlético finished third in La Liga last season after winning the title in 2014.
