Gerard Pique will not leave Barcelona for Atletico Madrid in January – report | OneFootball

Gerard Pique’s difficult situation at Barcelona attracted Atletico Madrid’s interest recently, but as it turns out, the chances of the defender signing for the team are next to impossible as he will not move from the Catalan city in January, reports Diario SPORT.

Diego Simeone is said to be dissatisfied with the performances of the likes of Stefan Savic, Felipe, Mario Hermoso and Jose Maria Gimenez this season. On top of that, none of the players have had great luck with injuries either.

Given the issues, Simeone passed the running idea of going for Pique in the January transfer window. This way, the Argentine tactician would have a seasoned first-team defender and as for Barcelona, it would allow them to reduce their wage bill.

There are reports that Barcelona are extensively working on reducing their first-team salaries. The exits of club captains, including Pique, are expected to be the catalysts ahead of the 2023-24 season.

The 35-year-old has endured a difficult time this season, appearing in a solitary La Liga fixture so far. But, as things stand, he has no desire to leave Barça for Atletico Madrid in January as he still hopes to show that he could be a useful component at Spotify Camp Nou.

In all fairness, this remains a perfect opportunity for the veteran especially since Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde are set to miss several weeks of action. This creates space for Pique to work his way back into the Barcelona setup

Hence, for now, Pique to Atletico Madrid remains a far-fetched dream in the first place, mostly because will not leave Barcelona in January.