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Atletico Madrid star Oblak leaves door open to possible Premier League move
The Slovenian isn't ruling out anything when it comes to his future due to his belief that he could perform in any of Europe's five major leagues
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak has left the door open to a possible Premier League move.
Oblak has established himself as one of the top keepers in Europe since joining Atletico from Benfica in 2014, attracting a long list of high-profile admirers in the process.
Manchester United and Chelsea have been among those linked with the 28-year-old in recent years, and he has now admitted that he would be open to taking up a new challenge in England at some point.
What's been said?
"The Premier League has strong teams. Maybe the strongest. But I think in the end it is what the coach is asking of you. You listen to his instructions," the Atletico goalkeeper said during an interview with European football expert Guillem Balague.
"You are one of the 11, so you do what he asks of you. All the players on the pitch are thinking like that. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Premier League, Italian league, Spanish league, wherever you go you need to do what the coach is asking you to do."
Asked if he can picture himself playing in the Premier League, Oblak added: "I don’t know. I don’t know what the future will bring, but I am sure that in any league I would play I could play well. You never know what will happen in the future.
"Now I have been in Spain for seven years. Let’s see. I’m still young. Not so young anymore, but I still have some years in front of me.
"The most important thing for me is the hope that I do not suffer any injuries. Let’s see what the future will bring."
Oblak's record at Atletico
Oblak has racked up 298 appearances across all competitions for Atletico to date, conceding just 209 goals while also recording 157 clean sheets.
The Slovenian has helped Diego Simeone's side win the Supercopa de Espana, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup, while also being named La Liga's best goalkeeper on four occasions.
The bigger picture
Oblak still has two years left to run on his current contract at Wanda Metropolitano, and it has been reported that he has a €118 million (£102m/$143m) release clause.
It seems unlikely that any potential suitors will be willing to fork out a world-record fee for the Atletico No.1 in the current financial climate, with many clubs still struggling with the loss of matchday revenue amid the coronavirus crisis.
However, Oblak's head might be turned if he believes his chances of winning silverware regularly will be improved elsewhere, particularly with the Los Rojiblancos now in danger of missing out on the 2020-21 La Liga crown after throwing away a 10-point lead.
To see the full interview with Jan Oblak go to European Football Expert Guillem Balague’s YouTube Channel:
