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Fernando Torres is not in Diego Simeone's plans going forward with Atletico Madrid according to a report in AS. Torres is on loan at Atletico from AC Milan but has not featured since the end of last year in a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. The report suggests Simeone informed Torres and Miguel Ángel Gil Marín at a meeting on Monday as to his lack of faith in Torres moving forward.
Torres would have to complete a full transfer and sign with Atletico before Monday in order to be eligible to play with his boyhood club in 2017. This is due to the fact that Atletico have been hit with a transfer ban that means they can not register players for the next two windows.
Atletico are relying on a postponement of their ban having appealed the decision and it would give Torres an incentive to perform well for the remainder of the season in an effort to secure a new contract with the club in the summer. His wish was, and apparently remains, to stay at Atletico.
If the report turns out to be true, however, it would mean that Torres will become a free agent at the end of the summer with his agent recently explaining that he had seven offers on the table and one of them could result in his client becoming the richest player in the world.
When pushed on news of a Fernando Torres transfer, Simeone recently told the press, "The other day I said there was nothing to say because there wasn't. We've talked to Fernando and he knows what I think and he's told me what he feels. The talk remains private. We've talked, which is the main thing."
Torres has has a tumultuous time since leaving Liverpool for Chelsea during the winter transfer window in 2011. A failed spell at AC Milan resulted in his return to the Vicente Calderon last January and while he remains a fan favourite, there is a sense that his worth to the club on the field has reached an all-time low with little hope of a resurgence.
He has been searching for his 100th goal for the club since September when he landed his 99th against Eibar during a 2-0 win.