Reports in Spain this morning claim Atletico Madrid are closing in on Argentine pair Nicolas Otamendi (pictured) and Eduardo Salvio .

Atletico Madrid sporting director Garcia Pitarch was in Argentina last weekend and is expected to return in the coming days to negotiate with Velez Sarsfield and Lanus over selling the two players.

Nicolas Otamendi is the hottest defender in Argentina currently, he is being tracked by a number of European clubs including Juventus, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. He is believed to be worth around 10 million euros and will likely become more expensive after he appears in the 2010 World Cup.

Eduardo Salvio is a 19-year-old striker who was linked with Atletico during the summer. He can also play as a second striker and he has also long been linked with a move to Europe.

The stumbling block for Atletico Madrid is the combined fee of around 20 million euros for both players which could see them look elsewhere.