A leading member of the defensive ranks at French giants Olympique Marseille has confirmed that his entourage were contacted by La Liga outfit Atlético Madrid earlier this year.
The player in question? Leonardo Balerdi.
Balderi, for his part, is currently in the midst of another fine season on the books of the aforementioned Marseille.
All told, the Argentine has racked up 30 appearances in all competitions, 28 of which have come in the form of starts.
And his excellence across such outings, it is understood, has long begun to pique the attentions of clubs the continent over.
Speaking with the Argentine media (as cited by Mundo Deportivo) on Tuesday, it therefore came as little surprise when the subject of outside interest in his signature was put to Balerdi himself.
Specifically, the central defender was drawn on an alleged approach on the part of Atlético Madrid during the January transfer window.
And, in his response, Balerdi went on to confirm precisely that, albeit with the board at the Wanda Metropolitano having not gone as far as to table a bid:
“I told my agent that if there isn’t a 100% real offer, don’t tell me. There was some interest, but it wasn’t an offer. It wasn’t important and the club said I should stay.
“My agent told me to stay calm because it was not important and the club told me to stay. I want to stay here and focus here for the moment, although there were approaches.”
Conor Laird | GSFN
