Kieran Trippier has revealed he would have stayed at Atletico Madrid if it was 'about the money' rather than join Newcastle United.
Atletico certainly did not want to lose Trippier and the England international admitted he 'could have signed a new deal' at the Metropolitano Stadium before he left. However, Trippier had always wanted to return to the north of England for family reasons so the 32-year-old's mind was effectively made up when Newcastle came in for him.
Although Diego Simeone understood why Trippier wanted to join Newcastle, the Atletico boss even tried to convince the England international to stay at the club in the car park at the training ground on the day he said his goodbyes. Simeone reiterated that he did not want to lose Trippier, but the right-back stuck to his guns and swapped life in the Champions League for an immediate relegation battle with no escape clauses.
