Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone is keen for his squad to be strengthened this winter with a holding midfielder, but it appears as if his squad will be weakened before that happens. The closest deal to fruition is that for central defender Caglar Soyuncu to leave the club in search of more minutes by the looks of things.
Soyuncu has been linked with an exit for the past two months, and the Turkish defender has only seen 212 minutes thus far. With the Euros on the horizon, Soyuncu is reportedly keen to arrive in top shape for the competition, something he will not do at Atletico as things stand.
La Liga insider Matteo Moretto has told Caught Offside that Soyuncu is keen to return to the Premier League, but his options currently are elsewhere. The 27-year-old is taking his time over a decision, with Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Besiktas and Fenerbahce all interested. Porto are one step ahead of those sides, as they have an agreement in place with Atletico Madrid, although the terms of that deal are not yet clear.
Thus far, Porto have clearly been unable to convince him that they are the right choice. Whether it is a sale or a loan, Los Rojiblancos will likely benefit from a deal. Soyuncu arrived on a free, so any sale is pure profit, while a loan for Soyuncu will in theory see him get the minutes he is currently lacking. That in turn will set him up for a sale in the summer, or give him more confidence to compete for his spot this summer.
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