Transfer news

Atletico expect Adrian stay

July 21, 2012
By ESPN staff

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone insists striker Adrian Lopez will not leave the club.

Adrian Lopez
PA PhotosAdrian Lopez has been linked with a move away from Atletico Madrid

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Adrian, 24, signed for Atletico from Deportivo La Coruna last summer, but reports suggest he is attracting interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

It is suggested that the player has an €18 million (£14 million) release clause in his contract but Simeone says there is no possibility he will move on.

"Adrian will not leave Atletico Madrid," Simeone said. "That is clear."

He added: "The arrival of new players will make us more competitive, so there is internal competition. The major players need to stay."

Atletico president Enrique Cerezo had earlier said there had been no enquiries over the forward. "Adrian is an Atletico player for the next four years and nobody has called to ask about him," he said.