Premier League duo Everton and Tottenham Hotspur have both reportedly scouted Gelson Martins, who only joined La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in July.
Diego Simeone appears to be trying, once again, to transform Atletico Madrid from the masters of pragmatism into a team that can excite at the other end too. And Gelson Martins is key to exactly that.
Signed on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon over the summer, the Portugal international is speedy, direct and creative. And Simeone obviously rates him very highly.
“The coach thinks I have special characteristics and that’s why I came,” Martins told Goal. “Since I arrived, I have worked very hard and with quality, and that will help me in the way I play, which is why I am very happy to work with Simeone.”
So, on the face of it, Everton and Tottenham may be simply wasting their time in sending scouts to watch Martins in recent weeks, as reported by the Daily Star. Why would Atletico Madrid be willing to entertain offers already, even for a potential £30 million profit?
On the other hand, it is worth noting that many players have been quickly shipped out of Atletico after struggling to meet the demands of Simeone. Since the start of 2014/15, Mario Mandzukic, Raul Jimenez, Alessio Cerci, Guilherme Siqueira, Jackson Martinez, Matias Kranevitter and Nico Gaitan all lasted just a few months under famously demanding Argentine before being phased out, frozen out or simply sold.
Spurs would do well to remember that Toby Alderweireld, their star centre-back, spent just one year at the Vicente Calderon too before being farmed out to Southampton.
So while there is a chance that Martins could be added to this list, Everton and Spurs are right to make their interest known.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
