Robertson turns down Atletico move in favour of fight for Liverpool future – report | OneFootball

Liverpool may no longer need to worry about replacing one of our most decorated defenders this summer, following a significant development in Spain.

According to Matteo Moretto on X, Atletico Madrid have agreed a deal worth €20m including bonuses for Atalanta left-back Matteo Ruggeri.

The move included “dialogues between the parties kept in great secrecy”, with the final paperwork now seemingly just down to “final details between the clubs”.

Atletico have reportedly already scheduled Ruggeri’s medical, as per Moretto’s latest post.

While that alone may not seem relevant to us, it becomes far more interesting when considering a follow-up from the journalist.

Asked by a fan whether this move “rules out Robertson”, Moretto replied: “Yes, First choice was Theo, second Robertson, third Ruggeri.”

That essentially confirms our Scotland international was second on a three-man shortlist for the La Liga side, given the Ruggeri agreement it now appears our man turned down the Spanish advances.

Robertson staying clears up left-back dilemma for Liverpool

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

The 30-year-old, who joined us in 2017 from Hull City, had been tentatively linked with a switch to Spain, particularly since the links to Hungary’s Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth.

With Kerkez signed and expected to provide strong competition — and eventually become the long-term successor — there had been murmurs that Robertson could look for a new challenge.

His potential departure may have even offered a reprieve for back-up option Kostas Tsimikas, who featured 29 times last season.

But with Ruggeri now poised to join Atletico, it appears Robertson has turned down the move in favour of a fight with Kerkez at Anfield, meaning Kostas Tsimikas may now be the man to depart – as predicted earlier in the window.

Our head coach already has decisions to make at left-back, and this news could offer clarity for pre-season planning.

You can view the Robertson updates via @MatteMoretto on X:

Join our channel of readers on WhatsApp to get the day’s top stories straight to your mobile

Liverpool has lost a great – EOTK’s tribute to Willie Stevenson, one of Shankly’s best