Atlético and Espanyol tying up Léo Baptistão transfer

Léo Baptistão is course to become Quique Sánchez Flores' fourth signing at Espanyol . The Catalan club and Atlético de Madrid have been negotiating the transfer of the 23-year-old, his agent confirmed to AS. Talk intensified on Thursday and Espanyol are keen to speed up the move so that the player can complete the move in time for the start of the pre-season, which gets underway on Monday.

Espanyol will pay Atlético a free of around six million euros for Baptistão - the same as the first option fee which Villarreal had on the player up until 15 June. Baptistão spent last season on loan at El Madrigal but Villarreal decided not to trigger the clause to buy him, and neither does the forward features in Diego Simeone's plans at Atlético - for that reason, he was not among the squad members who showed up for the first day back at work today.

Baptistão look set to become the Pericos' fourth addition, following Roberto Jiménez, José Antonio Reyes and José Manuel Jurado.