Having written this one off comletely, I just saw Simeone's comments last week.
"I hope that he can see in our training sessions that this is a team who will keep growing and continue to improve, the best thing for a player is to see he is growing alongside the team.
"So, if we end this season fighting for La Liga until the end of the season with Barcelona and get into the Europa League final, it will be a strong season for us.
"That will count in his decision, for sure. We have to give him our all as a team and give him the motivation he needs so that when it's time for a decision, he opts to stay with us."
Which doesn't sound like he's talking about a guy with his mind made up and a deal in place, and given the loyalty and respect Simeone gets from his players, I don't see a deal happening behind his back."So, if we end this season fighting for La Liga until the end of the season with Barcelona and get into the Europa League final, it will be a strong season for us.
"That will count in his decision, for sure. We have to give him our all as a team and give him the motivation he needs so that when it's time for a decision, he opts to stay with us."