Atletico Madrid ready to launch £42m bid plus player to land Napoli superstar Gonzalo Higuain
Diego Simeone is desperate to sign Argentine striker and will offer Italians choice of four aces in return for top target
ATLETICO MADRID are ready to launch a cash-plus-player bid for Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain, according to reports.
Diego Simeone is in the market for a new striker after falling short in La Liga and the Champions League, and has made Higuain his top target to lead the line despite being linked with Chelsea ace Diego Costa and Borussia Dortmund hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The former Real Madrid star looks likely to leave Napoli this summer despite enjoying his best goal-scoring season to date.
Higuain fired home 36 goals in 35 league appearances to equal the record set by Gino Rossetti 87 years ago, and he will not be renewing his current deal which is set to expire in 2018.
However, Napoli are desperate to keep him in Italy, with president Aurelio De Laurentiis preparing a lucrative new contract.
The Serie A giants claim that Higuain will only be allowed to leave if his £78million release clause is met, but secretly accept they must sell in order to strengthen other parts of the squad.
Related Stories
Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool are both said to be interested, with Higuain’s agent – who is also his brother – spotted alongside Jurgen Klopp at a recent Copa America game in the US.
But claims Atletico are now ready to complete a deal in order to challenge Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title.
Simeone will apparently open the bidding at £42m as well as offering a player to help push the transfer over the line.
The report lists Luciano Vietto, Oliver Torres, Borja Gonzalez and Leo Baptistao as stars who could be included in the potential swap deal, and Napoli are apparently open to negotiations.
However, it’s added the Italians will first demand £50m before discussing players, with star playmaker Marek Hamsik also linked with an exit.
There is also interest from Chelsea in defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Napoli run the risk of losing the spine of their side in a single window.