Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has said the club will not sell Rodrigo De Paul in January despite rumours that Tottenham are interested in signing the Argentina international.
Speaking to Radio Del Plata via Mundo Deprtivo, the La Liga official revealed that he is unaware of any plans to sell De Paul in the winter, with Marca recently reporting that Atletico are keen to offload the former Udinese star in the January transfer window after falling out with the manager and fans.
De Paul has been a regular target of whistles and jeers from Atletico supporters in recent weeks, with TuttoMercatoWeb also reporting in the summer that Tottenham were interested in signing the midfielder, all linking to a potential sale in 2023.
However, this now all looks to be off the table following recent comments from Cerezo, with the Atletico president saying: “Rodrigo De Paul for sale? We don’t know anything about it. De Paul is a good player, he plays for Atletico Madrid, and we’re happy with him. We don’t have any problems, there’s no doubt.”
Indeed, this news will be a hammer blow for Tottenham, with Atletico selling De Paul a move that would have alerted the likes of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici to make a move for the 28-year-old maestro, who could have been the final piece in Spurs’ midfield.
Whilst results have been great for Tottenham this season, performances have left supporters hopeful of something more, and signing a talent like De Paul would have worked wonders for Conte’s side. However, Atletico’s new stance has seemingly ended any chance of a move in January.
Atletico selling De Paul now feels like a pipe dream for Tottenham
Midfield is a position Tottenham will have to focus on this January if Conte is to end Spurs’ trophy drought, and De Paul could have been perfect for the north London side. However, Atletico’s new position on the Argentine has seemingly ended all hope of a transfer.
Whilst there are still many options out there in the market, the £30m De Paul would have been perfect for Tottenham given the midfielder’s age and qualities, with Tottenham likely to struggle in January to find a player as good as the Atletico star.
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