Griezmann replacement at Atletico? Aspas unsure about €40m move talk

Iago Aspas is being mooted as a potential successor to Antoine Griezmann if Atletico Madrid part with their star striker this summer, but the Celta Vigo striker is unsure about talk of €40 million (£35m/$48m) moves.

Having flopped in the Premier League during a forgettable one-season stint at Liverpool, a 30-year-old frontman has been reborn back in his homeland.

A loan spell at Sevilla got him firing again before a return to familiar surroundings at Celta allowed him to flourish and plunder 53 goals across three La Liga seasons.

So impressive has Aspas’ rejuvenation been that he is now reported to be a target for Atletico as they contend with interest from Barcelona in Griezmann.

He is, however, reading little into the rumours, telling AS when quizzed on whether he could fit into Diego Simeone’s side at Wanda Metropolitano: “Good footballers have to fit into any team. That’s the case there with Griezmann.

“It’s flattering to be linked with other teams but I’m focussing on getting some minutes and going to the World Cup.”

Aspas added on the €40m price tag which has been placed around his shoulders: “I don’t know. It seems like a lot of money to me.

“I’ve always said that I feel at home at Celta and I signed a new deal last year. That said, you never know what will happen in the future.”

For now, Aspas is focused on ending the 2017-18 campaign as positively as possible – as he currently sits as the leading Spanish marksman in La Liga.

He is also looking forward to watching the Champions League final, with his former employers at Liverpool set to lock horns with Real Madrid.

Jurgen Klopp’s Reds will have his backing in Kiev, with Aspas still holding fond memories of his time at Anfield despite enduring a testing time on Merseyside.

He added: “I had a really good season at Liverpool. I didn’t play much but we were close to winning the Premier League.

“On the other hand, Real Madrid are a Spanish team. I don’t know who I’ll root for, maybe Liverpool because of my past there, even though I’ve got friends at Real Madrid.”