Gil Marín: "Koke had a pre-agreement with Real Madrid"

Atlético Madrid's director general, Miguel Ángel Gil Marin, ws interviewed by El Transistor on Onda Cero on the club's situation and opened up about Antoine Griezmann's situation, Koke, Juanfran, Fernando Torres and Jan Oblak. 

Griezmann leaving: "Of course, Griezmann will continue on with Atlético in the second half of the season. The club is not going to negotiate now and it's practically impossible that any team would pay his release clause now. Until the 1st of July, Griezmann's clause is €200 million. But more than clauses, I think Antoine is good. It cost us a lot to put Costa and Griezmann together and the idea is that they can be together on the same team for many years. Atlético have no intention of transferring Griezmann."

Fernando Torres: "I know Simeone well and I am very clear about the admiration and the respect he has for Fernando Torres and what he represents for the club. Today, for the fans, the one who represents Atlético Madrid the most is him, without doubt. Simeone doesn't want Fernando Torres to be simply a figurehead, he wants him to be what he is, a great footballer. And Torres doesn't just want to be a figurehead, he wants to enjoy his football competing and playing. The club isn't going to get involved in these things."

Reporting Barcelona: "At this moment, relations with Barcelona are very good but when someone does something that they shouldn't then we have to defend ourselves, for our people and to maintain the integrity of the competition. Now, in the middle of the campaign, the first team tries to sign the best player of the team that is second. More than the declarations of Guillermo Amor, I have spoken with directors of Barca, I have spoken with agents and Griezmann's family. It is obvious that there has been contact. We aren't looking for a sanction for Barcelona, we just look for respect."

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Wanting Simeone to stay: "Without any doubt, it would be a massive blow to lose Diego Simeone than to lose Antoine Griezmann. Simeone represents the club in values, work, philosophy of play. He represents a football team and no player on his own represents a team."

Barcelona trying to sign Saúl: "Bartomeu called me this summer to tell me he wanted a player with the characteristics os Saúl Ñiguez and that he planned to pay his clause. What he didn't know was that three days before, we had signed him to a new contract and his clause rose from €80 million to €150 million."

Vietto leaving for Portugal: "We have reached an agreement for Vietto to go on loan with an option to buy at Sporting Club de Portugal. The player's signature is just missing, with the two clubs it's already there."

Carrasco: "The idea with Carrasco is that he stays and remains one of the main reinforcements of the winter transfer window. People talk because they don't know and it's easy but he has had problems with his knee and because of this, he has not been too involved."

Selling players: "The most reasonable thing is that there are two departures in this market. Gameiro and Gaitan? I have no idea, it depends on the market."

Juanfran: "Juanfran is the most exception person I've known in the dressing room. The season coming, he is guaranteed to be back and from there, whatever he wants."

The most difficult signing: "The signing that cost me the most was Griezmann. We had to travel there four Mondays in a row for dinner in San Sebastian with Aperribay until we reached an agreement. It was the most difficult."

Koke had an agreement with Real Madrid: "One of the signing that I am most proud of is that of Koke. It cost me to keep him when he had a pre-agreement with Real Madrid. I have to speak a lot to undo that."

Jan Oblak and transfer speculation: "We are delighted with Oblak, he is a very focused guy. He wants to be the best goalkeeper in the world, I think that he already is and he is in the best team in the world too."

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