How Long Will It Be Before Diego Simeone Leaves Atletico Madrid?

When Atletico Madrid won last season's La Liga title and reached the Champions League final, it naturally attracted the attention of the world's leading football owners.

Diego Simeone was the first manager for nine years to win the Spanish league outside of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

In 2003/04, Rafael Benitez led Valencia to their second championship in three years before heading to Anfield to claim Europe's top prize in dramatic fashion.

The wealth of Barcelona and Real Madrid has since grown ridiculously in comparison to the rest of their La Liga counterparts.

These financial differences are not just the creation of a disproportionate television deal, but mismanagement from the majority of clubs in the country.

This makes Simeone's achievement even more extraordinary and one of the greatest triumphs in modern football.

Centre-back Diego Godin is equally in awe: "Considering what he managed to do last season with a squad that wasn’t as expensive as others, I think that even doubles his merit," he explained to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, per Inside Spanish Football.

"Last year was spectacular. We had a style of play and different players. I’ve always said our current team is different too, but neither better or worse."

In theory the team should become weaker every season, as Atletico are forced to sell their best players and replace them with a fraction of the money.

The club sold Radamel Falcao (arguably the best striker in the world at the time) in the summer of 2013 but then went on to win their 10th championship.

This success means Simeone will inevitably get linked with every underperforming side, especially those with vast amounts of riches.

Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly the latest to be watching the Argentine, per AS.

These links have been denied by the man himself this week, as he told Marca: "I feel very good at Atletico," via the Daily Mail.

"I always want to continue improving, I'm never satisfied. I don't know what the limit of this team is, I will continue looking."

That search could be teetering towards the end, although Atletico are far from in a state of decline.

Simeone has to decide if the team can compete again next term.

It's nearly three years since he arrived at the Vicente Calderon and considering his longest previous tenure was just 18 months, it's a long period for Simeone.

Of course, he hasn't enjoyed the same level of success in his six other managerial appointments, but the coach will be only too aware that his project has its limitations.

Any move to another side should be met with trepidation by Simeone, as there's no basis that his methods would transpire to a superior budget.

His ability to unite a bunch of serial underachievers is a very different skill set to motivating the best-paid players on the planet.

As he spent a large proportion of his playing career in Italy, then it's logical for him to consider a move back to the country in a managerial capacity.

"Inter? It would be an honour," he once confessed to Italian newspaper Il Giornale, per Italian Football Daily.

As Internazionale have just appointed Roberto Mancini, it would be difficult to envisage a move to the San Siro in the next few years, although their current predicament is perfectly suited to Simeone's management style.

Atletico Madrid are doing a decent job of defending their title, when you consider the transition of the summer transfer window.

However, their supporters should enjoy the foreseeable future and remember that nothing lasts forever.