The club is already preparing the 2022 project which will require a new squad to aspire to win again and to improve in the Champions League and Copa del Rey

Atletico Madrid: La Liga champions to a new, more ambitious project

photo_camera Atlético de Madrid

Looking at the results, Atletico Madrid's season was a good one as they won the league title. But it was expected more from the team in the Champions League.

In the Copa del Rey their elimination at the hands of Cornellá was quite disastrous. Leaving out Carrasco, Llorente or Luis Suárez didn't work out well for them. A team with players like Felipe, Giménez, Kondogbia, Vitolo, Saúl, Correa and Joao Félix should have no problem eliminating a second B team.

The current Cup system is very dangerous for the big teams. Madrid lost to Alcoyano.

On the positive side, they had a break from January.

In the Champions League they lost to the current champions, Tuchel's Chelsea. They were outplayed in both games.

Simeone must improve on several aspects to be able to bid for the Champions League and to renew the league title.

At the moment, there is talk of an offer to Inter for Lautaro. The Italian team is closing the door on the Argentinian striker. But this is one of the positions that Cholo Simeone must strengthen. There is also talk of Dybala, but if he wasn't a starter at Juventus, why would he be a starter at a top-level Atletico?

Lautaro Costa

Luis Suárez has been decisive in La Liga, but in the Champions League he didn't show up. The same goes for Correa, who, without having a bad season, has to do better if he wants to fight with the big European teams.

There are many opinions about Joao Félix, but it is clear that the big money he spent on him does not correspond to the results obtained.

Little can be said about Vitolo. He went from being an international to playing pretty much nothing, it seems a similar case to Isco at Real Madrid. Dembelé didn't solve much, if anything.

I don't think Oblak wants to change, he feels very good in this team.

Jan Oblak, Atlético de Madrid

There is room for improvement in defence. Savic, Giménez and Felipe would be better supported by another centre-back who plays the ball well from the back and is a step up in quality.

The full-backs are well covered with Trippier and converted Mario Hermoso. Lodi is improving, but he should contribute more and Vrsaljko has gone unnoticed this year. He has another year left, but everything points to him leaving.

In midfield, Koke is a permanent fixture, as are Carrasco and Llorente. The latter can play all kinds of games, he is an all-rounder and a physical prodigy. The pity is that Luis Enrique wasted him as a full-back, not having taken Navas to the European Championship.

Kondogbia is not working out as Simeone had hoped. Torreira and Herrera are not enough to make the leap in quality needed to face new challenges. 

Saúl has lost the spark and play of yesteryear. There is even talk of him supposedly leaving the team. He is not in the national team and nobody even remembered him.

Luis Suárez, jugador Atlético de Madrid

There is talk of Rodrigo de Paul to complete the midfield. It's clear that they need to bring in a quality player to help Koke, Llorente and Carrasco, both offensively and defensively. Lemar can complete the squad, but for the big games he won't be enough.

In short, except in goal, they need to bring in players on all lines. But world class players. Getting Herrera, Vrsaljko or Vitolo, with all due respect, will not make them fight again for La Liga and, above all, for the Champions League. Vrsaljko, Torreira, Herrera, Vitolo and Dembelé are unlikely to continue.

Atletico Madrid, after their good last season, must be more ambitious by signing players for their defence such as Koulibaly from Napoli, Pau Torres from Villarreal, Boateng, who is free, Kounde from Sevilla or Skriniar from Inter. 

Midfielders such as Villarreal's Parejo, Thiago Alcántara, who has been criticised by Liverpool, United's Pogba, Lyon's Aouar, City's Gundogan and Inter's Nicolo Barella. The latter is very complicated, but money can do anything.

El centrocampista francés del Lyon Houssem Aouar

And a striker like Lukaku or Lautaro from Inter, Gabriel Jesus from City, Zapata from Atalanta, or Aubameyang from Arsenal.

The ideal to complete a winning team would be to sign Koulibaly or Pau Torres, Aouar or Pogba and Lautaro or Gabriel Jesus.

Without this big effort, it will be difficult next season to match or surpass the results of this one.

We know they are working on it. The showcase of the European Championship or the Copa America will bring us new values. Although it is always better to bring in experienced players.

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