Jose Antonio Reyes is set for a move to Atletico Madrid,
according to reports in Spain. Spanish daily Marca reports that
Arsenal and Atletico have agreed a fee of 12 million Euros (around
£8 million), and the move will be wrapped up at the start of the
week.
Reyes spent last season on loan at Atletico's rivals Real, where he
won the Primera Liga and reportedly hoped to stay permanently.
However, Real seem keen on other targets to strengthen their left
side, with Marca reporting on Saturday that they are set to tie up
deals for both Chelsea's Arjen Robben and Feyenoord's sought-after
Royston Drenthe.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has made it clear that Reyes is not in
his plans for the coming season, but wants to recoup the majority
of the initial £10.5 million the Gunners paid Sevilla for the
winger in 2004. Marca claims that Wenger had given Reyes until
Tuesday to find another club, or else he would stay in London for
the season.
Lyon were rumoured to be interested in buying Reyes, but it now
appears that Atletico are the front-runners for his signature. If
the deal does go through, it would take Atletico's summer spending
to around 80 million Euros (£50 million), joining Diego Forlan,
Simao Sabrosa and Luis Garcia at the Vicente Calderon stadium,
having sold Fernando Torres to Liverpool.