Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has admitted he is "not surprised" to hear of Chelsea's interest in his goalkeeper Jan Oblak - and did not rule out selling the player.
As reported by Mirror Sport last week, the Slovenian shot-stopper, who is considered one of the best keepers in the world, has been identified by the Blues as their No.1 target this summer.
With manager Frank Lampard having lost faith in Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea are said to be considering letting the Spaniard leave in a player-plus-cash deal for Oblak.
It is an offer which many may believe to be unattractive for Atletico, but somewhat surprisingly Simeone failed to issue a hands-off warning when asked about Oblak by Cadena SER .
Simeone said: "It is normal that they want a goalkeeper of the characteristics and value that Oblak has and it doesn’t surprise me because he is very good.
"For us, he is decisive, very important in the dressing room, he is our captain.
"Year after year he has managed to evolve in all the matches, from goalkeeper to his handling with the group, and hopefully he can continue with us.
"It is normal to always look for the best, and we have many who are very good, some previous seasons have left, others have stayed, and it is logical and normal for a footballer like Oblak to be loved by anyone.
"For us, he is our captain, an important player year after year and hopefully we can continue to count on his work, which is enormous for Atlético de Madrid."
The fact Simeone did not specifically say the player was not for sale offers some hope to Chelsea that they may be able to conclude a deal for the 27-year-old this summer.
The addition of Oblak to the forward acquisitions of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner would certainly make the Blues a fearsome prospect going into next season, and this could certainly be a prospective move to keep your eye on.
