Athletic Bilbao set sights on Raul Garcia
Posted Tuesday, July 28, 2015 by Goal.com
Ernesto Valverde is an admirer of the attacking midfielder and believes he could be tempted away by the prospect of more first-team football
Athletic Bilbao are keen on signing Raul Garcia from Atletico Madrid ahead of the new season.
Head coach Ernesto Valverde is a keen admirer of the experienced attacking midfielder and is hopeful he could be tempted to San Mames by the prospect of guaranteed first-team football.
Though Garcia is one of Diego Simeone's captains at Atletico, the Argentine has stated already this summer that Koke and Diego Godin represent the only "unsellable" members of his squad.
Garcia, who managed close to 2,700 minutes of action last season - a drop of nearly 400 minutes from the previous season - would have the final word on any transfer as Simeone is unlikely to tell him he has no place in his plans.
However, with the summer arrivals of Jackson Martinez, Lucian Vietto, Yannick Ferreira Carrasco and the potential signing of Thiago Motta, the 29-year-old could find himself on the periphery at the Vicente Calderon, meaning Valverde is hopeful he could tempt him to move.
Meanwhile, Athletic remain on the hunt for a full-back and are monitoring Nacho Monreal's situation at Arsenal, though they accept it is unlikely Arsene Wenger will sanction a sale unless he can sign a replacement first.
Faouzi Ghoulam of Napoli is another option, though initial talks between the two clubs has cooled.
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