Atletico Madrid end their pursuit to net Everton's Mikel Arteta
ATLETICO MADRID claim to have ended their interest in Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniards have been long-time admirers of the 26-year-old, who is currently recovering from an operation to cure the groin and abdominal that hampered him last season.
Indeed, reports last week suggested Atletico were ready to launch a £12million bid to take Arteta back to his homeland.
The midfielder, though, has consistently dismissed any suggestion of a move away from Goodison Park and signed a new five-year deal last summer.
And now Atletico sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch has ruled out a move for the Everton man.
"We will try to sign a top player by the end of the summer for the new season but to be honest we are not too worried as our team is pretty much complete," said Pitarch yesterday.
"Arteta? Yes, we were interested in him but the club cannot go for that sort of player."
Real Zaragoza were the other Spanish team tracking Arteta, but their hopes were dashed with their shock relegation from the Primera Division last season.
Another Everton player to have fallen out of the sights of an opposing club is Andy van der Meyde.
Red Bull Salzburg, coached by van der Meyde's former Ajax mentor Co Adriaanse, had been contemplating ending the Dutch winger's Goodison nightmare.
But reports in Austria suggest Adriaanse has cooled his interest in van der Meyde.
However, Andrew Johnson's departure appears imminent, with Goodison officials expecting Wigan Athletic to follow up their initial enquiry with an official £10m bid.
Sunderland have also asked about Johnson, while West Ham United are thought ready to also enter the race for the striker after giving Fulham permission to speak to Bobby Zamora.
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