Antonio Lopez Hoping Aguero & Forlan Will Stay At Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid left-back, Antonio Lopez is confident that the team will be able to pull off a few surprises in the Primera Division in the forthcoming season and challenge Real Madrid and Barcelona with the help of superstar duo, Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan.

The lethal goalscoring pair has been heavily linked with a move away from the Vicente Calderon all summer long, but Antonio believes that it’s perfectly normal after the stunning season they just had.

“It’s logical that people are talking about their future,” he was quoted as saying by AS.

“They are very important players to this team and during this time of year, there will always be rumors. But right now, they are both Atletico players and we hope that they will remain here,” he added.

Los Colchoneros achieved one of their key targets last campaign after successfully qualifying for the Champions League by finishing fourth in the league. And the 27-year-old full-back, who could take over as the team captain should Maxi Rodriguez leave the club this summer, wants Atleti to aim higher.

“There are always surprises in La Liga. We hope we can compete with Madrid and Barca for the top positions because we have a very good team, just like Sevilla, Valencia or Villarreal,” he enthused.

“Last season, Barcelona were head and shoulders above everyone else while this year, Madrid are strengthening their squad very well as they are ready to fight back.

“For us, we must look at ourselves and take things one game at a time. Our immediate objective is to progress past the Champions League qualifying stage. We are thinking about that but at the moment, we are only focused on physical work during pre-season training. What’s important now is to get the heart pumping and get our legs working again.

“Later on, we can think about aiming for the top four again [in the league], which is a must. And if we attain a higher position than fourth, even better,” he concluded.

KS Leong, Goal.com