Wednesday 10 June 2015 14:22, UK
Diego Simeone has confirmed Atletico Madrid's interest in Carlos Tevez and says they are close to signing Luciano Vietto.
Tevez is under contract with Juventus for another year and has long been linked with a potential return to Boca Juniors, but Simeone would like to see his compatriot at the Vicente Calderon.
"One always gets excited if you have players like Tevez," Simeone told Spanish sports newspaper AS when asked about Tevez.
"More than the goals he can score per season, he has football running through his veins. It would be an ideal reinforcement considering the way we experience football at Atletico Madrid."
One Argentine striker who is on the verge of signing for Atletico is Villarreal's Vietto.
Vietto scored 12 goals in 32 Primera Division appearances in the 2014-15 campaign and is set to join Atletico in a reported 15m euro transfer deal.
Simeone knows Vietto well having signed the player from Estudiantes while he was in charge of Racing Club in 2011.
"Vietto is one of our aims," Simeone said. "We are close to signing him.
"I hope we can have him with us next season because he is a player that has extraordinary characteristics."
Simeone, meanwhile, has ruled out the return of Monaco's Colombian forward Radamel Falcao to Atletico this summer.
Falcao, who spent two campaigns with the club before signing for Monaco in 2013, has endured a difficult season on loan at Manchester United, scoring just four goals in 29 appearances.
"Falcao's situation is not an issue that we have spoken about with the sporting directors," Simeone said. "It's true that he gave us a lot but our sporting plan is not heading in that direction."
