Atletico Madrid are preparing to launch one of the shock moves of the summer transfer window as Diego Simeone chases down Liverpool star Andy Robertson.
As part of a fast-moving story, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has flagged interest from the Spanish capital in Robertson, just weeks after Trent Alexander-Arnold swapped Merseyside for Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold's move to Real Madrid was completed in time for him to join up for the FIFA Club World Cup after the England international opted against a contract extension at the Premier League champions.
Robertson is currently away on his summer break, ahead of a return for preseason in mid-July, but the 31-year-old is uncertain over his next step.
The Scotland international is out of contract at Liverpool in June 2026, and despite Arne Slot's desire to keep him, the Reds left-back spot it up for debate ahead of the 2025/26.
Slot is keen to bolster his squad, with Jeremie Frimpong already landing from Bayer Leverkusen as a replacement for Trent, as the club work on a record transfer package for his former teammate Florian Wirtz.
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However, talks are also progressing with Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez, as Slot looks for a fresh option on the left-side of his defence.
Kostas Tsimikas looked the most likely to be moved on, with Greek star not happy at possibly being relegated to third choice, but it could now be Robertson who leaves if his role is undercut by Kerkez's arrival.
Atletico Madrid kicked off their Club World Cup campaign with a thumping 4-0 defeat to UEFA Champions League winners PSG and Simeone made a clear point over a weakness in his team.
What did Diego Simeone say about Andy Robertson links?
As part of his post-match press conference, Simeone faced questions over his left-sided pair of Javi Galan and Samuel Lino, who struggled against the pace and guile of Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue.
"When Luis Enrique had a problem on the left wing, PSG brought him a player [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia] for €70m in January," he told Marca.
Simeone's sharp response could potentially be a plea to the Los Rojiblancos hierarchy to release more transfer funds to address an issue in his ranks.
The Argentinian has switched between tactical systems since the start of 2025, but Galan and Lino have generally started in a 4-4-2, and both players were substituted against PSG.
Robertson is a left-back in a four-man defence, but with the option to play further forward, however, it's his defensive grit and experience that's caught Simeone's eye.
The pair almost look like a perfect match, but Liverpool will only sanction a cut-price £15m sale if Slot fails to convince Robertson of his place in their title defence.
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