Manchester City told to fork out €30 million to sign Atletico Madrid sensation Rodrigo Riquelme
According to AS (h/t Sport Witness), Premier League champions Manchester City have been told to fork out €30 million to secure the services of Atletico Madrid starlet Rodrigo Riquelme in the ongoing summer transfer window.
The winger came through the ranks at the Spanish club before making his senior debut for the club in 2019, replacing Thomas Lemar against SD Eibar in La Liga. He has since made a total of two appearances for Diego Simeone’s men.
The 23-year-old is primarily a left winger but is equally capable of doing a job on the other wing and also as an attacking midfielder. A good dribbler with an eye for a pass, he is familiar with the possession style of football and could be a proper fit at the Etihad.
While he still has much to develop, there are few places in world football better than Manchester City under Pep Guardiola to hone one’s talents. Riquelme already has a taste of English football having spent the 2020-21 season on loan at AFC Bournemouth.
He made 19 appearances for the Cherries in the Championship and the FA Cup, scoring two goals in the process. The numbers might not be very impressive but expecting a then 19-year-old to make a telling difference in a foreign league is too much.
The Spaniard has since upped his game and caught Manchester City’s attention following an impressive loan spell at Girona. Los Rojiblancos are not averse to selling Riquelme but are unwilling to listen to offers under €30 million. This is significantly lower than his release clause worth €70 million.
Guardiola and Co are well aware that Riquelme is far from a game-changing signing for them and is unlikely to become a regular starter anytime soon. They are unwilling to pay more than €15m for his services, much lower than what Atletico are demanding.
Riquelme is unlikely to make much of an impact as a starter and there is little reason for Manchester City to go all out. As things stand, Atletico have the ball in their court and a lot will depend on whether they are willing to lower their demands.
