Atletico Madrid are reportedly tempted to prise Gerard Deulofeu away from Barcelona and AC Milan in the summer.
According to a report in TransferMarketWeb, Atletico Madrid are interested in signing Gerard Deulofeu in the summer. The Spanish giants are preparing to steal a march on Barcelona and AC Milan to land the Everton attacker when the transfer window reopens in June.
Deulofeu progressed through the ranks at Barcelona before making his first-team debut for the Catalan club in 2011. However, he never quite managed to make a mark for the Blaugranas, and after two loan spells with Everton and Sevilla, the player moved to the Premier League to make a permanent switch to Goodison Park.
Deulofeu 7.5/10:
Literally saved our season. Its like he was sent from the heavens. Faster than Usain Bolt. Ended Fiorentina and Bologna. pic.twitter.com/YaTotK2H76
— WhatGattusoMad? (@WhatGattusoMad) May 22, 2017
Upon his permanent move, Deulofeu was a big hit for Everton initially as he bagged 4 goals and 13 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions. However, he struggled to find his best form under Ronald Koeman this season and he was subsequently sent on loan to AC Milan in January.
The move to San Siro has certainly reaped dividends as Deulofeu has become a regular fixture in Vincenzo Montella’s first-team squad, and has managed to score 4 goals while providing 3 assists in 17 Serie A appearances.
His blistering performances have given rise to speculation that Milan will tempt to keep the Spaniard at San Siro on a permanent basis when the transfer window reopens in June. Indeed, he has proven to be influential in the final third for the Rossoneri, suggesting that he could prove to be a long-term solution in attack for the club.
Meanwhile, it has also been widely reported that Barcelona are considering buying Deulofeu back in the summer by activating their €12 million buy-back clause. The Catalan club’s sporting director, Robert Fernandez has also gone on record to suggest that a move could be in the offing.
However, with Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar going strong in attack, it is hard to see how Deulofeu would return to Camp Nou to anything but a squad role. With that in mind, it remains to be seen if the player considers a return to his boyhood club in the summer.
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid have also entered the fray to sign Deulofeu in the summer, and Los Rojiblancos are ready to battle Barcelona and Milan for his signature.
With the likes of Yannick Carrasco and Antoine Griezmann being linked with summer exits from the club, Diego Simeone could be in dire need to sign a quality attacker in the summer transfer window. Hence, Atletico can potentially offer Deulofeu a bigger role in their first-team squad as compared to Barcelona.
So, a summer transfer battle for Deulofeu seems to be on the cards, and with a move away from Everton getting increasingly likely, it will be interesting to see if the player returns to Spain or moves to Milan on a permanent basis.
