Although the transfer market for Atlético de Madrid is being successful and very hectic, there are still things that can change. The arrival of Le Normand , Sorloth and Julián Alvarez have filled the fans with hope, who, despite the team's leap in quality, know that there must be more reinforcements. And even more so after the problems that have arisen with Samu Omorodion and Chelsea , which greatly complicated the arrival of Conor Gallagher to Simeone 's team.
Given this situation, Gil Marín and company, while trying to find a solution with Chelsea so that the English midfielder can wear the red and white, tested other interesting profiles. That's where N'Golo Kanté appeared, a footballer who was already rumored some time ago by our colleague, Juan José Arrien Roldos, and who was confirmed a few days ago by Relevo. The Frenchman was one of the few outstanding players for his country during the Euro Cup , having great nights that recalled the best Kanté of his time in the "blue" team.
He showed that, despite playing in Saudi Arabia and being 33 years old, he still had a lot of football left in his legs. That is why several people wondered if N'Golo Kanté 's return to Europe would not be possible. In this way, it seems that Atlético de Madrid had sounded out Antoine Griezmann 's compatriot, but they have come up against a stumbling block that could end their chances of signing him.
An exorbitant salary
If there is one problem that greatly complicates the departure of footballers who currently play in the Saudi Pro League, it is their salaries. Saudi Arabia , with the aim of creating one of the best leagues in the world, prepared exorbitant prices for players who decided to play in their football league. That is how Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Ryhad Marhez, Roberto Firmino and company flew to Arab lands, knowing that they were going to receive large amounts of money.
Something that evidently happened with N'Golo Kanté , who would earn around 25 million euros a year according to Capology. A figure that very few clubs around the world could afford at the moment, and Atlético de Madrid is not one of them. This would mean that if N'Golo Kanté wants to leave Saudi Arabia , he would have to make a huge effort to stop earning the 25M€ of his current contract in order to compete in Europe again.
However, it is not only his salary that could be the big problem for the red-and-whites, but also Al- Ittihad 's stance. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Arab club has described N'Golo Kanté as a completely untransferable player, rejecting any approach from West Ham , Barcelona or Atlético de Madrid . These three teams would be, a priori, the main interested parties in the services of the world champion, but "los tigres" have reportedly closed the door with a key and insurance included on N'Golo Kanté .
Conor Gallagher remains the top choice
In this way, it seems that Conor Gallagher remains the most desired man by Diego Pablo Simeone . However, they must first solve the problems that have arisen with Samu Omorodion , and wait for them to reach an agreement for Joao Felix . The Portuguese appeared on the table as an option for Jorge Mendes to unblock one of the biggest negotiations in the market.
That is why we will have to keep a close eye on how the whole Gallagher affair develops, one of the big soap operas of the summer . What seems clear is that CholoSimeone knows which player he wants and will expressly ask the club to reach an agreement with those from Stamford Bridge .