There is no one in football like Diego Simeone. Only he would sign Álvaro Morata, a player who is the absolute opposite of him, to guarantee his maintenance of constant fury – for that can be the only way to explain the strangest transfer of all time. And now it seems that he is interested in pairing the temper-inducing striker with another: Atlético Madrid have, we are told, contacted the representatives of Cristiano Ronaldo. Though the Manchester United altruist feels sincere and profound love for the club that developed him, he would prefer to leave rather than lower himself to competing in a Europa League for which he was instrumental in qualifying them.
However, Erik ten Hag is disinclined to allow the move. Well, either that, or he’s desperate to rid himself of a slightly weird dressing-room influence who won’t do what he’s told – except he can’t say so because he’d like to extract as large a fee as possible. Definitely one of the two.
