Mario Mandzukic is no longer an Atlético Madrid player. Italian club Juventus closed a deal in Madrid on Thursday that will see the Croatian striker join ‘The Old Lady’ for 18 million euros, four million less than the 22 million Los Rojiblancos paid Bayern Munich last season.
Mandzukic, despite being defended by Simeone because of his ankle problems throughout the season, did not fit the mould of an Atlético player. The writing was also on the wall with the arrival of Fernando Torres and the imminent signing of Luciano Vietto, and the sporting director of ‘The Old Lady’ moved swiftly to sign him after Carlos Tévez confirmed his return to Argentina.
Italian media sources believe Mandzukic will sign until 2019 in a deal worth four million euros a season. He will also join Sami Khedira and will compete for a starting place with Morata and Fernando Llorente, although the future of the former Athletic striker remains uncertain.