Moretto reveals how Theo ended up in Saudi Arabia despite Atletico interest: “Broke down”

AC Milan were looking to sell Theo Hernandez this summer, and eventually managed it. However, it was not without difficulty. 

There were several obstacles to overcome with Theo’s exit, a story similar to the one that would have seen him renew. As a whole, the saga made a lot of sense, all because it made no sense. Neither party satisfied the other, and this only resulted in things being difficult.

Theo wanted to move to Spain, but Milan had no interest in lowering his exit fee. The reasoning? Because he had said no to a move to Saudi Arabia. However, in the end, he did move to the Middle East.

Moretto’s Theo information

Things were rather farcical, and questions have been asked about whether his sale was worth it. Nevertheless, the ship has now sailed, and he is a part of the past, even if he is still related to the Rossoneri on social media.

Today, Matteo Moretto has shed some light on his exit, as Radio Rossonera relays.

“I want to reveal to you the reason why Theo Hernandez ultimately didn’t join Atletico Madrid. Theo was Atletico’s top target and had reached an agreement with them regarding his contract, but the two clubs couldn’t reach an agreement on his value because Milan estimated Theo’s price at between €25 and €30 million.

Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images

“Atletico, on the other hand, wanted to spend less than €20 million in fixed terms, so much so that Ruggeri ended up costing €18 million in fixed terms plus €2 million. In fact, Theo, despite having reached an agreement with Atletico, ultimately didn’t go there for this very reason.

“I reiterate that negotiations for the renewal had been stalled for a year now. From January onwards, when Milan had reached an agreement with Como for Theo and the player said no, the relationship between the parties completely broke down, and circumstances led him to Saudi Arabia to play for Simone Inzaghi’s Al-Hilal.”