Normally when people hear ‘Madrid’ and ‘big transfers’, their mind instantly ventures toward Real Madrid who are notorious for breaking records and signing the best players on the planet on a consistent basis. This window was no different with them signing Hazard, Mendy, Militao and Luka Jovic and Los Blancos expressing no desire to stop the train of spending added more fuel to the fire. The difference this time, however, was that Atletico Madrid was not brushed aside when it came to big transfers. The club that placed second on the La Liga was involved in two of the biggest transfers of the season(Joao Felix, Griezmann), upstaging most of the big wigs in the football world. They’ve made so many high profile moves that it’s hard to keep track.
The Big Moves:
1. Antoine Griezmann( departure to Barcelona): This move was to Barcelona fans what the Hazard move was to Real Madrid fans. After years of anticipation and hints at moving, while nothing seeming concrete, finally the French World Cup winner moved to Camp Nou. Barcelona fans are surely ecstatic at the thought of one of the best players in the world playing alongside arguably the best player in the world. Let that sink in. Griezmann scored 15 goals and 9 assists this year and has maintained these types of numbers and even better since his 2013-14 season at Sociedad. He has even kept his key passes above well above 1 per match during that period proving just how much of an asset he’s set to become. This window saw the Frenchman moving to Barcelona for €120 million after what seems like an endless barrage of hints and rumours.
2. Joao Felix ( arrival from Benfica): This could be deemed the shocker of the window. That’s not to say that Joao Felix is anything short of an amazing young player. He seems to have an incredible reserve of natural talent with people praising his attacking prowess, finishing, dribbling, passing, stamina and speed. The teenager managed to score 15 goals and 7 assists in the league despite playing far from every single match(26 including substitutions). The fact that there was a transfer came as a shock to no one, especially with a lot of comparisons between him and Portuguese legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, but the amount was exorbitant, to say the least. The 19-year-old moved to Atletico Madrid for a jaw-dropping €126 million; undoubtedly the biggest gamble of the window so far. Only time will tell if it pays off but looking at Atletico’s recent history with developing players, it’s hard not to feel optimistic.
3. Diego Godin( departure to Inter Milan): The free transfers this season have involved some incredible talent and Diego Godin’s move to Italy is definitely a fine example of that. Inter Milan made it into the top 4 of the Serie A by a whisker (only 1 point ahead of AC Milan). They conceded only 33 goals in the season(only Juve conceded less with 30) and will be looking to reduce that tally. The 33 year old was integral to Atletico’s defence and was one of the key reasons why their defence is so lauded. It definitely seemed like an interesting choice to let him go to Italy given how great he has been for Atletico with his precision tackling and general technicality and defensive read. Even last season, the CB managed 1.7 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 4.2 clearances across 30 games.
4. Rodri ( departure to Manchester City): Leave it to one of the richest clubs in the world to activate the buy-out clause a sign one of (if not) the best young talent in the La Liga. Both his passing and tackling were instrumental to Atletico Madrid garnering as many victories they did. He 3.1 tackles and a passing accuracy of 91.1% across 34 games and Manchester City, now so hungry for even more victory after winning another PL did not sit idle. They pulled all the stops and signed the 23 year old Spaniard for €70 million.
5. Kieran Trippier (arrival from Tottenham Hotspur): The most recent transfer for Atletico was the €22 million signing of Englishman Kieran Trippier. The full-back rose to prominence in the last few years but his recent season left a lot to be desired. He still managed some good numbers in the PL with 2.5 tackles and 2.3 clearances in 27 games. Defensive errors and minor injuries didn’t help him have quite the season he was hoping for. Nevertheless, this move has been received very positively and has received a lot of traction with both Tottenham and Atletico Madrid cashing in a lot of their chips in this window seemingly.
Honorable Mentions: 24-year-old Marcos Llorente had a decent season at Real Madrid albeit in only 7 games and was bought for €30 million by ATM. Felipe also pulled some good defensive nos. (1.1 tackles and 2.2 interceptions) in the Portuguese League and was bought by ATM for €20 million. Atletico Madrid’s biggest sale besides that of Griezmann was Lucas Hernandez. The 23-y.o. CB moved to Bayern Munich for €80 million. The Frenchman pulled an average of 2.5 tackles in 14 games. Gelson Martins was sold to Monaco for €30 million after his loan term expired.
All in all, after spending €218 million and receiving €311 million ( only via selling players), Atletico Madrid have conducted a lot of business this transfer window. Fans will see a lot of new faces clad in red and white and if these moves all work out, they’ll be all the more invigorated.
