Four players that Atlético want to bolster their defence

With this season drawing to a close, Atlético Madrid are starting to think about the next campaign as they look to give Barcelona a closer run for the La Liga title.

One of the areas of their squad that will require something of a makeover is the defence. With the imminent departures of Diego Godín to Inter Milan and Luis Hernández to Bayern Munich, Diego Simeone's side will need to invest in new recruits if they want to keep up their impressive defensive record.

Filipe Luis also looks set to leave the Spanish capital, leading 'AS' to release four names that are on Atleti's agenda as they look to build a new backline.

Porto's centre-back Felipe has been heavily linked to replace Godín at the heart of Atlético's defence. The 29 year-old Brazilian is thought to be the subject of a 25 million euro bid from 'Los Colchoneros', who have followed him for some time.

Also on Atleti's radar to strengthen the centre-back position is Argentinian Nicolas Otamendi. The 31 year-old has fallen out of favour at Manchester City this season and looks set for a summer move away.

The La Liga runners up have furthermore been linked with two of Felipe's teammates at Porto. Left-back and fellow Brazilian Alex Telles is thought to be a player of interest, whilst Mexican midfielder Hector Herrera is reportedly a target as well.