Atletico Madrid might terminate Eduardo Salvio loan agreement with Benfica
If reports coming out of Spain are to be believed, Atletico Madrid’s hierarchy is looking to rescind Eduardo Salvio’s loan agreement that the club had signed with the Portuguese outfit SL Benfica. Atletico Madrid loaned out their starlet to the Portuguese
Liga Sagres outfit earlier in the summer to get valuable first team football. However, Salvio has been unable to play first team football making a few substitute appearances so far. The player has just managed 107 minutes in the four matches he has played
in.
He was a highly rated player, despite his age as continental giants in the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool were interested in his signature. Atletico pulled out a transfer coup and signed the player from Argentine club Lanus
in the January of 2010 for a reported fee of 10 million Euros. Such an exuberant fee for a teenager clearly indicates the trust Los Rojiblancos have put in the
player’s abilities. Since Atletico has a forward trident of Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero and Jose Antonio Reyes, Salvio would have been unable to get first team action. Atletico offered the youngster to multiple clubs earlier in the summer but Salvio chose
to play for Benfica as the club was playing in the UEFA Champions League.
Apparently, Atletico had a clause in the loan agreement that gave the parent club a right to recall the player from the loan spell. Usually, a ‘free’ loan agreement (one that doesn’t pay any fees) has a recall clause. But if a club pays a loan fee to the
parent club, a recall option cannot be placed in the loan agreement.
Salvio’s recall will be more complicated than it was thought off initially. The club does not have a free ‘non-EU’ spot available in the squad to accommodate the Argentine. Sergio Aguero and Diego Godin are both close to getting their Spanish passports.
Should either of the two get their citizenships, the club will be able to free up a non-EU spot.
Salvio’s arrival will also add some much needed depth to the squad. Sergio Aguero has been struggling with a knee injury and despite the early season hope; the club number 10 has been unable to shake it off.
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