According to Don Balon, Diego Simeone could look to be reunited with a familiar face at the Wanda Metropolitano this month – Mario Mandzukic.
Mandzukic scored 20 goals in 43 appearances during a single-season stint at Atletico before departing for Juventus. With Diego Costa having headed for the exit door this month, Don Balon suggest that Simeone could seek Mandzukic’s return in order to fill the gap in the squad.
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Atletico are in need of options in attack, with Luis Suarez alone not being sufficient considering how congested the next few months are going to be, with the La Liga giants challenging for both the Spanish league title and have a Champions League tie with Chelsea to look forward to.
Mandzukic could be the answer, or at least so Don Balon believe. The Croatian is available on a free transfer, so it’s a perfectly plausible deal for Atletico to pull off, should they so wish.
It does, though, remain to be seen whether this is an option high on Simeone’s wish-list, or rather a contingency plan in case his other targets don’t come to fruition. After all, Mandzukic is now 34-years-old, this would be a very short-sighted acquisition.