Diego Forlan ready to stay at Atletico

Diego Forlan, the new top scorer in Spain’s Primera Liga, says he is happy to stay at Atletico Madrid, despite reported interest from champions Barcelona.

The Uruguayan international said Atletico must first ensure their place in the Champions League in the last match of the season.

“After that, we will see what happens. I feel very well here, I have always said that,” Forlan said after scoring a hat-trick in his club’s 4-1 win at Bilbao on Saturday.

A one-time player with Manchester United, when he was dubbed “Diego Forlorn” for his failure to find the net, he is now the top scorer in the Primera Liga with 31 goals, ahead of Barcelona’s Cameroon international Samuel Eto’o with 29.

The Spanish press has said Barcelona, who were league champions a week ago, are keen to sign him as a replacement for the possible departures of Eto’o and Frenchman Thierry Henry.

He has scored 11 goals in the last seven matches, helping bring Atletico to within reach of a place in next season’s Champions League.

The Madrid club are fourth in the championship, two points ahead of Villarreal, and each have one more match to play.

Forlan, who joined Atletico in 2007 from Villarreal for 21 million euros, is under contract until 2011.

He was last crowned the Primera Liga’s top scorer, or “pichichi”, in 2004-2005.