Atletico Madrid chief Miguel Angel Gil Marin had a meeting with Monaco midfielder Fabinho and his agent Jorge Mendes in Madrid on Tuesday night to discuss a winter transfer, reports AS.
Diego Simeone’s side are unable to register new signings to play until January after the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] upheld the club’s FIFA-imposed transfer but Atletico are nevertheless determined to strengthen their side this summer.
Fabinho was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United earlier this month but those reports are understood to be wide of the mark and Atletico appear to be the new frontrunners for his signature as they seek a long-term replacement for 36-year-old Tiago.
The Monaco midfielder enjoyed a sensational campaign for the Ligue 1 champions last season and it would take a sizeable fee to prize the Brazilian away from Leonardo Jardim’s side this summer given he has four years remaining on his current deal.
It remains to be seen how a proposed transfer to Atletico would work as in theory it would require Fabinho sitting on the sidelines for the first six months of the season before being able to play in January, and it also would be a controversial switch given he was once in the Real Madrid ranks.
In the last two seasons Fabinho has scored more penalties than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues (13).
For more stats on Fabinho, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
