Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 5y

Atletico to sign Herrera as well as Porto teammates Felipe, Telles - source

Atletico Madrid will sign Mexico international Hector Herrera on a free transfer this summer, while his Porto teammates defenders Felipe and Alex Telles are also close to following, a source close to the Portuguese club has told ESPN FC.

Central midfielder Herrera, centre-back Felipe, and left-back Telles have all developed significantly in recent seasons under Porto manager Sergio Conceicao, who the source said Atletico had been looking at before boss Diego Simeone extended his contract in February.

Herrera, 29, has 70 caps for Mexico and scored eight goals in 51 games across all competitions this year as Porto reached the Champions League quarterfinals. The club will also face Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Cup final on May 25 and sit two points behind leaders Benfica with on Liga Nos match remaining.

Herrera had asked to be excluded from Mexico's Gold Cup squad due to the demands of a long season and wanting to settle his club future.

"I feel it is necessary to fully recover after the physical and mental wear of the season, in which I've played over 50 official matches for my current club; as well as to have the chance to define my professional future," Herrera had said in a statement.

Felipe, 29, joined from Corinthians in 2016, and has played 46 of 49 games this season as Porto conceded just 19 goals in 33 league games. He is expected to arrive as a replacement for the departing Diego Godin for a fee for around €25 million, the source said.

Telles, 26, has been on the radar of many clubs due to his nine goals and 33 assists from left back over the last two seasons. The source said that Porto were holding out for his €40m release clause, while Atletico were hoping to negotiate on that price. Atletico's left backs for 2018-19 were Lucas Hernandez, who has agreed to join Bayern Munich, and Filipe Luis whose contract ends this June.

Felipe and Telles have seen both gained their first international caps for Brazil. Their fellow countryman Eder Militao has already joined Real Madrid from Porto ahead of next year in a €50m deal.

ESPN FC Mexico correspondent Tom Marshall contributed to this report.

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