Atletico Madrid agree contract renewal as ownership change shifts future of star man | OneFootball

Atletico Madrid confirmed a deal which will see private equity firm Apollo Sports Capital (ASC) become majority shareholders in the club. While the leadership at the club is due to remain in place, the new financial backing by the American firm will be felt in the short-term.

None more so than in the case of Julian Alvarez. Always assuring that he is happy at Atletico, Alvarez’s agent has been ambiguous over his future at the club for some months, with Barcelona supposedly keen on him. However with ASC now in place, Diario AS say that one of the priorities is to keep Alvarez at the club. As such, the World Cup-winner will likely be presented with a fresh contract offer in the not too distant future, just 18 months after signing with the club. Building around the Argentina forward is central to their plans for the club.

Giuliano Simeone renewal imminent

Meanwhile Marca say that fellow Argentina international Giuliano Simeone is close to his own contract renewal. He is one of the stars the club want to keep together, alongside Alvarez and Pablo Barrios. Negotiations have been ongoing for some time, and are not related to the arrival of ASC, with the extension to be in place for Simeone to remain at the club until 2030, rather than 2028. Giuliano will receive an ‘adequate’ wage rise in proportion to his contributions. The 22-year-old’s extension is one of the first moves of new Sporting Director Mateu Alemany.

Image via Todo Alicante

Alemany and Mayo key for future plans

Alemany himself is another of the building blocks ASC are keen to build around, and the arrival of ASC, and the extra spending power that comes with it, was one of the things that encouraged him to take the job. For the coming three to four seasons, Enrique Cerezo is set to remain as President, and Miguel Angel Gil Marin as CEO. However Vozpopuli say that the succession plan may include Business and Operations General Manager Oscar Mayo, with a legendary former player perhaps returning to the club as president. No further details on potential figures are given.