The Daily Mail’s Jack Gaughan on Tuesday reported that Atlético de Madrid are interested in signing Manchester City winger Oscar Bobb, though the Rojiblancos face competition for his signature.
Bobb, 22,
is poised to leave Manchester in January as City work to acquire Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo. Gaughan reports that Borussia Dortmund have been in talks with Man City to acquire Bobb on loan before signing him for £30million next summer. While the German side seem to be favorites to land Bobb right now, Atlético and Sevilla remain in the picture, while Newcastle and Crystal Palace also hold interest. Gaughan says Bournemouth could make a push for the Norway winger too, as a direct replacement for Semenyo.
Bobb has long been regarded as one of City’s most promising young players, but injuries have hampered his development under Pep Guardiola. Bobb suffered a broken leg at the start of last season and made only six appearances; he has played more often this season, with 15 total appearances to his name, but he has just one assist in the Premier League.
In short, Bobb needs playing time, and Atlético need a strong dribbler who can operate wide or inside. Atleti’s left flank has suffered from inconsistency and instability all season; Nico Gonzalez is full of effort but not much attacking punch, while Diego Simeone prefers to play Álex Baena or Thiago Almada closer to goal.
Gaughan does not specify whether Atlético are interested in a loan move or a permanent deal for Bobb, who has 16 caps for Norway and an international teammate (Alexander Sørloth) already at the club. We’re also not sure just how much financial margin Atleti have in January, as Apollo Sports Capital will not take majority control of the club until after the winter window shuts and sporting director Mateu Alemany is prioritizing a new left-footed defender first.
Bobb is a technically-gifted left-footed winger who can play on either side. He grades out highly as a ball-carrier as well as a volume dribbler. He desperately needs playing time. A loan and a subsequent €35 million purchase is basically the same deal that Atlético made for Nico, a player who is five years older.
Even if Atleti don’t sign Bobb in the end, Alemany clearly is on the lookout for his dribbler. That’s an encouraging sign.
