Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone was coy when asked about his club’s interest in disgruntled Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata, saying he could not “confirm or deny anything” about the transfer market.
Morata has been linked with a return to La Liga this winter, with Sevilla among the clubs to have registered and interest in the former Real Madrid forward, though the club has admitted that a deal for the Spain international would be “very, very complicated”.
Goal reported on Wednesday that Simeone’s side have joined the race to land the 26-year-old, with a potential loan deal being discussed in the coming days.
But Simeone was not giving anything away following his side’s 1-1 draw with Girona in a Copa del Rey round of 16 first leg tie on Wednesday.
“The only thing I’m thinking about is the upcoming match against Levante,” Simeone told reporters.
“I don’t speak about players that aren’t with us, only those that are.
“I can’t confirm or deny anything because coaches wait to see what the club can do.
“Some players want more minutes, some could be sold by the club, some could arrive. We need to wait until January 31.”
Speaking of Wednesday’s match, Simeone says he felt Girona made life difficult on his side and that the tie was still there for the taking for either club.
“Girona are a strong side who are doing things well. In Spanish football, every team you face makes things difficult for you,” he said.
“The tie is open, with a 50 per cent chance for both sides. We’ll see what happens next week.”
The manager also felt Atletico, who host Levante in La Liga on Sunday, improved in the second half at the Estadi Montilivi.
“It was a dynamic match between Girona, who tried to hurt us on the break, and us,” he said.
“We tried to play in their half of the pitch. We played well in the second half.”