Atletico Madrid will refuse any proposed swap deal from Chelsea for striker Antoine Griezmann, as the La Liga BBVA outfit are only interested in selling if his buy-out clause of £43m is met.
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Chelsea transfer news: Jose Mourinho to offer winger as part of a €65m deal to land top La Liga target
Chelsea transfer news: Jose Mourinho told by world-class midfield target of his huge wage demands
On Wednesday, Gazzetta dello Sport revealed that the French forward remains a top priority signing for Jose Mourinho in the summer window, and the west London outfit were preparing a €65m deal – which could include Mohamed Salah – to land his signature.
In an update on the proposed package, the Daily Star claim that Diego Simeone is set to recommend to club directors in a meeting this week that any player-plus-cash deal from the Premier League champions should be rejected.
The British newspaper also state that former Rojiblancos left-back Filipe Luis may also have been one of the players Mourinho was willing to sacrifice to bring Griezmann to Stamford Bridge.
The France international has a release-clause of £43m [Daily Mail] and, according to the report, the Blues are uninterested in paying such an amount for the 24-year-old. If Atleti stand firm on a cash-only deal, Chelsea therefore could have to concede defeat.
In his debut campaign at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, Simeone’s No.7 netted 25 goals in all competitions – with 22 of those coming in La Liga – making it little wonder why he is on the Chelsea manager’s transfer wish list this summer.