Football Previews
Filipe Luis’ move from Spanish La Liga champions Atletico Madrid to English side Chelsea is almost concluded after the clubs finally agreed on a 20-million pound transfer fee.
The 28-year-old Brazil international was banished from Atletico’s first team to train with the reserves after he expressed a desire to follow former Brazil compatriot Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge.
Diego Simeone’s men have already secured a replacement by bringing in Guilherme Siquiera from Granada but were reportedly adamant to let Filipe go until Chelsea had agreed to pay off the player’s 20-million-pound buy-out clause.
Filipe Luis was impressive on the pitch for the La Liga side last season and has been keen to complete the move to Chelsea in the past few days. The Brazilian was not picked in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s squad for the 2014 World Cup on home soil.
Apart from Filipe Luis and Diego Costa, other players that La Liga winners Atetico are already losing include Tiago Mendes and star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois who is expected to return to Stamford Bridge after a loan spell with La RojiBlancos. While they were playing together at Atletico, Luis is reported to have formed a good working friendship with Courtois and the two are expected to help each other a lot in London.
Blues manager Jose Mourinho is also seeking the signature of European Champions Real Madrid and France defender Raphael Varane, who is currently believed to be seeking an assurance from manager Carlo Ancelotti that he will be a regular starter at Real if he is to remain playing for the Bernabeu side.
The Italian does not seem to want to sell Varane but the Abramovich-owned English club are willing to give up more than 30 million pounds if they sense a deal with Los Blancos is possible.
In other transfer news, Turkish side Besiktas have denied any deal to bring Marik Marin and Demba Ba on loan from Stamford Bridge despite Turkish TV reporting this earlier.
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