Vitolo: Atlético proceed with more caution than Las Palmas
Miguel Ángel Ramírez, the president of Las Palmas, stated that Atleti will trigger the player's release clause at Sevilla before loaning him to the Canary Islands.
Las Palmas President Miguel Ángel Ramírez has stated that Vitolo will leave Sevilla for Atlético Madrid, via a loan spell on the Canary Islands.
Las Palmas president confirms Vitolo loan
Speaking to Spanish radio network Cadena SER, Ramírez explained that Atlético will pay the €35.7m necessary to trigger Vitolo’s release clause, and that the player will play on loan at Las Palmas until January.
Toni Cruz, the Las Palmas sporting director, added that the islanders have reached an agreement with Atlético that “Vitolo will play for Las Palmas until January, in the case that Atlético buy the player.”
These revealing statements surprised and displeased Atlético Madrid in equal measure. Los Rojiblancos had presented this scenario to Las Palmas as a possibility, yet they continue to assess other options. It appears that the turbulent situation at Las Palmas (the club have recently lost manager Quique Setién and star midfielder Roque Mesa) caused Cruz to announce the ideal outcome. Vitolo himself would be interested in this scenario, having emerged through the youth system at Las Palmas.
Atlético to pay Vitolo's release clause, says Ramírez
AS explained on Tuesday that Miguel Ángel Ramírez was in Madrid to monitor Vitolo’s situation, and the president revealed even more to Cadena SER:
“Sevilla don’t want to sell him, so the only way he’ll go will be with his release clause. I met with Gil Marín [Atlético president] and it seems like the move will go through, and we agreed that he [Vitolo] will be part of the team until January.
“It’s expected that on Tuesday or Wednesday Atlético will pay the €37.5m release clause and later he will be unveiled and brought in to the squad for pre-season training.”
Ramírez explained the ideal sequence of events of Las Palmas, but not necessarily the sequence of events that will happen. The player and Atlético Madrid are approaching the situation with a calmer attitude.
