Morocco star picks Atletico Madrid over Liverpool and Tottenham

Atletico Madrid have been struggling for a balanced midfield for several years, after mainstays of Diego Simeone gradually left the side.

Koke Resurreccion and Saul Niguez remain, but the latter has dropped off, while the former desperately needs assistance. Rodrigo de Paul was supposed to make sense of it all, but so far has been unable to do so. Save for the brief spell where the midfield did get back on track, Marcos Llorente has struggled for both form and continuity in midfield.

However if there is one breakout player from the World Cup that looked as if he might fit Diego Simeone’s midfield like a glove, it is Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat. The Fiorentina star even declared his love for ‘El Cholo’ in an interview with Marca.

“What Simeone does, what he achieved… He coached Atletico Madrid for many years. I like his style of play. He won a lot and I have a lot of respect for him. The players on his team are physically strong and aggressive. I like to play that way.”

Now it appears Atleti want to make that a reality. According to Footmercato, Amrabat has chosen Atletico Madrid as his preferred destination, over the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham.

However they do point out that no negotiation is done with Fiorentina, which might prove the stumbling block for Los Colchoneros. The are unlikely to be able to compete with the Premier League wealth in terms of wages or fee.

If Amrabat could replicate his form for Morocco at the Civitas Metropolitano, it would make Atletico a considerably more solid team, allowing those up front to play with more confidence. While it is early days, securing his signing would be a major coup for Simeone.