Diego Simeone desperate for Atletico Madrid to hang onto talented young duo

Atletico Madrid are still facing some uncertainty about their squad as they pursue a midfielder to play at the base of their trio. This could lead to some unwanted casualties for Diego Simeone, but he is desperate to hang onto talented young duo Samuel Lino and Rodrigo Riquelme.

Lino comes from an inconsistent season at Valencia, but he was nonetheless crucial to the team. The 23-year-old has been linked with another loan or a permanent move for money, but Simeone wants him to stay.

Riquelme was not always a starter at Girona, but he was highly impressive at times under Michel Sanchez. He has also been linked with an exit, but Simeone wants him to stay too.

In a 5-3-2 formation, Cesar Azpilicueta would be used more as a central defender. This would mean that Lino and Riquelme would be the alternates to Yannick Carrasco and Nahuel Molina in the wide positions.

For the vast majority of games, both players should be capable of carrying out those roles, which are not natural to them. Javi Galan will also compete on the left side for that spot, but in bigger games where Atletico are pushed back, putting Riquelme and Lino up against other wingers might be problematic. While both are diligent workers, neither are natural defenders.

Overall, Simeone is keen to keep both Lino and Riquelme at the club. They are talented young players who could be important members of the squad in the years to come.