Diego Simeone to leave Atletico Madrid at the end of next season

Diego Simeone will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of next season after taking the almost unprecedented step of shortening his contract with the Spanish club. 

Simeone made the extraordinary move of reducing his contract by two years in the summer and he will now be a free agent in 2018 instead of being tied to the club until 2020. 

The news is bound to alert Arsenal who are now in the final year of Arsene Wenger's contract. 

Sportsblog360 understands Italy remains Simeone's preferred destination with Inter Milan the club most interested in taking him from La Liga in two year's time. 

However, his departure will bring to an end what will have been a seven-year stay at Atletico Madrid. 

He is already Spain's longest serving manager by some distance and having won five trophies with Atletico and taken them to two European Cup finals, he has already secured his place in the club's history.