The Argentine has been in charge of the club for four years and one of his current players would love to see him remain at the helm well into the future

Atletico Madrid defender Juanfran has backed Diego Simeone to establish a legacy at the club to rival that of Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.

The former Argentina international has delivered stunning success in his first four years in charge at the Vicente Calderon, winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Europa League, as well as reaching the Champions League final in 2014.

Simeone's exploits have seen him linked with a possible move away from Atletico, with United touted as one possible destination should they decide to call time on Louis van Gaal's spell in charge.

But Juanfran believes the 45-year-old could aim to match United icon Ferguson by staying in charge of the same side for years to come, telling Onda Cero: "He doesn't give me the feeling that he can leave. He signed until 2020 and he can extend that, for him there is no better team than ours.

"He feels what this club is - why can't he be the Ferguson of Atleti?"

Atletico have seen city rivals Real Madrid appoint Zinedine Zidane as head coach in the past month but, despite two wins and 10 goals scored in his first two matches in charge, Juanfran has little doubt that Simeone is the world's finest.

"I've heard that they're more comfortable with him. It's clear they're getting good results, they're going to fight for all competitions. [But] we have the best coach in the world," he said.