Guillem Balague responds to fresh reports linking Diego Simeone with Arsenal

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The Spanish football expert has commented on Arsenal’s chances of landing the Atletico Madrid head coach.

Sky Sports‘ Guillem Balague has responded to fresh reports linking Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone with the same post at Arsenal.

According to the Sun on Thursday, odds on Simeone replacing Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium have shortened significantly from 20/1 to 7/1 following the Argentine’s decision to cut his contract at the Vicente Calderon by two years to 2018.

Wenger once again finds himself under pressure, with Arsenal winning two of their opening five Premier- and Champions-League matches this season, and is out of contract at the end of the current campaign.

However, according to Spanish football expert Balague, Gunners fans should not get their hopes up regarding a move for Simeone.

“First of all, there is no truth in the link to Arsenal, but also, Diego Simeone to Arsenal doesn’t make any sense,” the Spaniard explained during a Q & A session on Friday.

“It is a completely different philosophy that Arsenal have to what Simeone has so I don’t understand the interest there from fans and from people to make out that story.

“Of course they believe in his methods. Firstly, he wants to make a team that attacks better, especially against static defences because they find themselves facing teams who defend very deep and he needs to improve on the collective work.

“Secondly, it has been confirmed that he has reduced his contract from 2020 to 2018 after suggesting that he had to think about his future this summer and he’s earning more than he originally planned in the renewal of his contract that he did in 2015 which suggests that he sees himself with Atletico Madrid until 2018 and then we will see.

“He had an offer from PSG, Inter want him and of course, let’s see what the situation is with English clubs at that time.”

Wenger, 66, recently passed two decades as Arsenal manager, but is without a league title in 12 years and has won only three domestic cups in that time.

Simeone, meanwhile, has gained a reputation as one of football’s brightest young coaches, having won La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League – as well as reaching two Champions League finals – in five years with Atleti.