#why does barcelona only play good when they play atleti

[livelaughlovefootball]

i was very bipolar in that match yesterday what the heck

[the-necessary-unnecessary]

Translation of the interview with Mapi Leon (Part 1: minutes 9:30 to 18:50)

- We have gone to Barcelona to get into the changing room and meet one of the players in that changing room who best knows Atletico de Madrid, as she played there not long ago. And that player is Mapi Leon. Hello Mapi!

Hello

- How are you facing this visit to Atletico de Madrid, are you all doing it a bit more relaxed keeping in mind what has come before with the result of the first game, the amount of goals you scored, the results Atletico has had lately, the results that you guys have had lately. Are you all a bit more relaxed or...

No

- ... you’re not lowering the bar in the slightest

No, no, no, not at all, not at all. [laughs] You already knew that I was going to say that.

- Yeah I knew that was going to be the case

No, not at all. I mean, maybe people might think that as there’s more distance [points wise in the table] then although we say we’re not lowering the intensity we must be even if it’s a bit. But not at all, that is to say um we arrived at a very similar situation last season, well we were i think 6 points away when we played at the Wanda and if we lost we’d be 9 away. And in the end, being the ones that are behind in the league, it’s everything or nothing. There is a lot of league left, I mean even if we hypothetically win this match it doesn’t mean that they would be completely defeated, at the end of the day there are still a lot of matches left and and we have to fight for them all until the league is over. But because of exactly that they are going to be, I imagine, extra motivated like we will be. Playing against Atletico de Madrid is always a great game...

- There’s no doubt about that

 There are no more words to explain it because in the end they have been taking the title for three years now. I mean, they have had some really great years these past few seasons and now its true that they have been having a bad streak but that doesn’t take away from the fact- well and they’ve also changed coach, the players have to win their spots, they have to work a lot.. and it is true that maybe they might not have a coach that doesn’t have as many days in the job as one who has been there longer would have but it is true that they are also going to be very motivated as it will be a new trainer and they will have to demonstrate that they deserve to play.

- in these days before the match, you who have played for Atletico de Madrid, do you talk to anyone who used to be your teammates? Do you exchange messages with then or in these situations does a footballer prefer to not talk with them- even if they’re friends like of course some of them are- is it best to not talk with them before facing each other?

Well, I’d imagine that it depends on what each person prefers to do but with me its true that I’m a bit careless with this kind of thing. [Presenter laughs] no its true its true i’m a bit careless. Well, I, maybe.. well no. Anyways I was talking to Angela not long ago as it was her birthday but I texted her about her birthday and little else. In these matches I individually also like to focus on the game and even when you get to the pitch I prefer to avoid meeting other people

- Yes so that the out of football life doesn’t affect the game

Yeah. Then after the game well you stay- well depending on the result you fancy staying to talk more or less. But I prefer to stay focused and then after the game whatever. But in the moment of the game and just beforehand I prefer to be only thinking about the match.

- You’re going into the match with some amazing stats Mapi. Talking about you, you are part of the defense and they have scored 6 goals against you in the Primera Iberdrola so far. I don’t know how to talk about this... my question would be, do you get bored this season in Barca where balls don’t seem to even reach the defensive line

It’s true that there are matches in which we do less but that is also due to the merit of the people up front who press very well, when they lose the ball they try to get it back fast, and all that. In the end we are also very clear about the way we play, how we like to be in possession, and if we can have the ball in their half then even better. It is also clear that we take risks and that those little inconveniences that maybe they’ll be a lot of pitch behind us etc etc. But anyways I think so far this year- I mean obviously we have mistakes and it’s normal but we work so that there’s as few as possible and because of that, as we have so few goals scored against us I am happy. But even those few goals bother me and they bother me a lot.

- And then there are 65 goals in favour, its an insane stat. I don’t know whether this has been seen before in a Primera Iberdrola because it’s win after win by a wide margin. In few matches have you guys scored fewer than three goals, even the defenders are scoring. What’s missing is your goal..

I know

- ...That I wonder where its gone, when it will arrive

It’s got lost somewhere

- But how do you view the winning streak in the changing rooms like jenni who has become the best goalscorer in the big European leagues, she’s the one who scores most goals. She scores them like churros [an idiom]. I don’t know whether this gets talked about between you all, if jenni talks about how on form she is at the moment. What does it feel like knowing that you have so much security with the people up front what with Oshoala, Hansen... there’s a lot of them. But I think right now, jenni is living one of her best moments.

To be honest, it doesn’t get talked about. But not because of anything in particular 

- Because she normalises right saying yeah this is normal

Yes well no, in the end she scores them and obviously some of us work so that they don’t score on us and others work so that we can score. Jenni is a spectacular player, she is really good. She has an impressive skill and well I hope it lasts and this year balls are hitting the back of the net that maybe last year wouldn’t. I don’t know whether this is because of working the game better, maturity of all the team as a whole. Last year maybe there were matches that the ball got stuck and wouldn’t go in however this year, so far, everything is going well. I mean, we’re scoring so I really hope it stays this way. 

- Why has Barça changed so much Mapi? We’ve been saying for lot of years, a lot of seasons that ‘this year barça will win the league, this year barça has the best squad in this history of women’s football in spain. But this year finally we are seeing that barça that we’d been waiting for for so many years. There will obviously be matches that are harder and there will be more balance between the teams but what has changed? Is maybe jenni the player who last year may have been missing from barça and that gave Atleti the final edge to win the title? What do you think has changed for barca to be such a steamroller this year this year whilst in previous years the team struggled so much?

My personal opinion... I mean in the end you also think because of things you hear or see and think ‘oh look this is interesting. It’s true that when a team, either male or female, has been so successful and has won a lot of titles in many cases it then has a slump. Its a slump because they’ve been winning for such a long time that its pretty normal that a team then has a lower period. And this is also affected by players moving around, obviously everything has a process, you also have to take into account the stability of both coach and players...  At the end of the day, regardless of how good they are they also have to bring into balance the type of play, the methodology of being a barca team. I also included myself here, when I came from Atleti there were a lot of things that changed. So sometimes all of that is a process, and only when all of it connects and comes together then it starts going your way. So I’d say that’s the main thing: we have matured as a team, we work during the games as hard as we can, maybe before we were more nervous... I think now we have grown, together. The new players who have come are, like always, very good players and they have come to really add something to the team which is great. So yeah, so far everything has been going on the right track. But we also have to work so that it stays this way as of course if we let our guards down now then that would be a mistake, it would mean starting to go backwards again and that’s the last thing that we should be doing. 

[gadgetsrevv]

Zidane, Valverde show Real Madrid and Barcelona players who’s in charge as Neymar links continue

I hope it’s not a revelation to you that when it comes to football managers, the four apocalyptic horsemen are injuries, defeat, the sack and the transfer market.

The first will lead to the second. Injuries provoke an increase in dropped points. Accumulate enough defeats and the clattering hooves of the third will soon be heard. But the fourth, the transfer market, can look deceptively like he’s mounted on a friendly, exquisitely-groomed, well-tamed thoroughbred until the beast rears its forelegs and thumps unsuspecting football managers full in the face. That’s why it has been fascinating and uplifting to see how Zinedine Zidane and Ernesto Valverde trying to turn into horse-whisperers over the past 10 days, each of them actively battling the collateral damage the transfer market is trying to inflict on them.

The main actors in this theatre of defiance and risk, directed and produced by “Zizou” and Valverde, are Ansu Fati, Gareth Bale, Carles Aleña, James Rodriguez, Luka Jovic, Carles Perez, Vinicius Jr., Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto. Neither manager actually needs to lie in bed at night cold-sweating the arrival of the third horseman. They’re not immune to being sacked, but they’re also not currently in danger.

– Ansu Fati becomes Barca’s youngest debutant in 78 years – Lowe: Jose Antonio Reyes’ death casts shadow over new season – Krichko: Inaki Williams blazes a trail at Athletic Club

Valverde has his critics, but he looks safe until his contract ends in June 2020. Zidane? In theory, given his brilliant champions league legacy as a player and coach, he should be the unsackable coach. However, on Tuesday, Marca, a newspaper consistently drip-fed information by Florentino Perez, splashed its front page with the headline “Zidane Loses His Immunity.” Zidane and President Perez are in a battle of wills as to whether it should be Paul Pogba or Neymar shipped in before the transfer market closes next Monday.

If Marca plasters “Zidane Loses His Immunity” across their front page, to be seen or read by several million people around the world, it must be accepted as a rap across the knuckles from a higher office than merely the season ticket-holders. “Get your nose out of the Neymar affair, forget about Pogba and get the team playing better” — that sort of message.

The first two apocalyptic riders, the pale and the red horses of injury and defeat, have visited Zidane and Valverde from almost the minute their summer holidays ended.

Zinedine Zidane has handled his want-away or surplus stars well at Real Madrid since the tumult of preseason, helping reintegrate Gareth Bale to the first team while slowly introducing the players signed by Florentino Perez.

Madrid have been blighted by eight major injuries in 47 days, which crippled their preseason stamina-building, team understanding, sharpness and new-player induction. It was brutal for Ferland Mendy and Eden Hazard, new arrivals, while Real also bid goodbye to Marco Asensio for most of the season. Meanwhile, Barcelona lost Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele to a plague of muscle problems that would have sent many managers gibbering to a psychiatrists couch with claims that “life has got it in for me!”

These things, while either improved or worsened by a club’s fitness practices, are largely out of the control of football managers. That particular horseman will visit: it’s inevitable.

What about defeats? Madrid lost 7-3 to Atleti in New Jersey and Barça kicked off the season with a defeat for the first time since 2008. These things do damage managers, all of which means that studying Zidane and Valverde’s decisions of who to pick or drop in their four matches, has been riveting for anyone who likes to people-watch in football and try to get under the skin of the main on-stage actors.

We’ve seen serious, ambitious but overburdened men making it crystal clear that they will embrace risk, that they will enforce principles, that they will stand defiant against certain club wishes… if it helps them deflect the damage the fourth horseman can inflict. The transfer market can become a pestilence for these two elite, seemingly untouchable and vastly successful men because it’s a beast that they cannot outright control. No way. It leaves them fighting to become survivors, not victims.

Zidane wants Pogba this summer, though not only does it seem sure he’s not going to get Manchester United’s marquee player, but Perez doesn’t appear particularly interested in trying to force a deal through. Zidane neither wants nor needs Neymar, sentiments that are of little or no interest to his employer.

Up front, Luka Jovic is far from the finished article as a striker. Zidane’s assessment seems to be that Jovic has little in his locker beyond the fact that the young, burly Serb inarguably tucks away goals. But “suck it up, Zizou!” is the message from the big Bernabeu offices. This is who you’re getting, regarding Jovic, so Zidane drops him.

As for Valverde? He’d love to be able to rely on Ivan Rakitic, one of his “most-used” footballers since the Basque (himself nicknamed “the Worker Ant”) discovered the Croatian’s unselfish, team-oriented relentless “all for one and one for all” playing ethic. But Rakitic is one of the few transfer-market coins that cash-strapped Barca have at their disposal.

Barca coach Valverde has reasserted himself as the man in charge despite complaints from senior players about a lack of minutes.

The likeliest resolution is that Rakitic’s stubborn insistence on staying will win the day when the market shuts on Monday. Meantime, the club’s requirement that Ivan-the-terribly-good doesn’t get injured, thus scuppering any possibility at all of putting him in a deal to secure Neymar, has been dominant.

Of Barcelona’s 180 competitive minutes so far in 2019-20, Rakitic has only been given 45. Those only came while Suarez was already off injured and Messi was absent. In other words, in extremis. Valverde has had no choice. The point is this: when Valverde opted to deploy 16-year-old Ansu on Sunday he did so as if he was saying “I’m taking back control!”

The previous week at San Mames, he’d already ignored Sergio Busquets and Junior Firpo on the bench and given 21-year-old winger Carles Perez only his second-ever senior appearance. Then Valverde started the kid again at the Camp Nou in week 2.

Against Betis, when Ansu was made Barcelona���s second-youngest player in club history, Valverde left on the bench two big-reputation (and big salary) players, Samuel Umtiti and Arthur, on the bench despite each of them crying out for game time.

Ansu may well be an emerging phenomenon and Perez a confident, talented young buck. But this was quite clearly a series of very firm messages. To President Bartomeu: “I don’t need Neymar, I’ve got the super-kids and I’ll use them.” To the senior players who have been ignored: “It’s time to sharpen up.” To the unreliable Dembele: “Get professional or get ready to languish on the bench or in the stands.” To the fans, media and to young academy players, including Ricki Puig, who some Barça media personalities and fans think is a mercurial genius already worthy of an automatic first-team place: “Youth will be trusted when I think it’s time.”

Zidane’s decision-making in Madrid can be regarded as a little more pragmatic but like Valverde, it’s still heavily laden with important declarations of self-determination, independence and potential conflict to come.

In order to have any chance of raising the cash to buy Neymar, Madrid’s bean-counters would need to sell or trade James or Gareth Bale. Or both. Zidane may not have been terrifically keen on either man until now but the instant the Premier League market closed, he exercised some good old common sense and extended the olive branch of peace to the Welshman, who has since started both Liga matches and played all but fifteen minutes of the 180 available.

James, ripe to be sold or traded before the other major markets close next Monday, was picked on merit against Valladolid and played well; he wasn’t wrapped in cotton-wool as Valverde has felt forced to do with Rakitic. The result? A good performance, but an injury now removes the Colombian as a trading piece from Florentino Perez’s shopping basket.

Zidane took back control. The club haven’t benefitted, but perhaps the team has. Perhaps he, himself, has. The manager’s authority, his character and how he’s viewed by the rest of the squad: all of those things have been reinforced. More, Zidane’s decision to drop Jovic demonstrated his thoughts on the Serb’s current form and preseason performances.

Cost: €50 million. The amount Zidane cares about that? Zero. It’s a message to the striker, message to those who signed him. Oh, and as for Alvaro Odriozola, signed after Zidane quit Madrid in June 2018? He was dumped out of the squad altogether at the weekend.

Neither manager has won all his bets, and each has faced criticism. But both of them wrenched back the idea that “the buck stops with me and I’m not just flotsam or jetsam to be tossed around by the furies of the transfer market.”

I think each man burnished his reputation, reaffirmed his authority, won back self-respect and faced down the fourth horseman of the apocalypse for football managers. How they must yearn to hear those hooves echoing into the distance next week.

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[heartsoftruth]

Hey ash. I think you have given up on Neymar staying. I haven't. In the past couple of weeks I read just about every article, rumor, analysis, opinion & editorial posted in any language ty google translate.Even the ridiculous ones.I got br app, Barca live app, one of my monitors at work is dedicated to ney stuff..Thought abt it a lot. Got mad at him often.But I haven't lost hope. I agree with most unbiased experts if he wants better sporting opportunities he'll stay. His fathers greedy, he's not

I hope he does anon. I really hope he does… 

1% chance right? ;) 

Anonymous said:How do the psg fans/board/players expect from neymar to win for them the ucl ? And even if neymar thinks that he might carry that team by himself he can be wrong, even messi when he created history with barca and won everything it’s not because of him alone, he had iniesta xavi… by his side to help him win, no team can depend on one player, plus psg is not that kind of team that u can improve urself in it, team with no personality, if they were a good team they wouldnt lose 6-1 after winnin 4Anonymous said:2(forgot to put 1 on the previous) Geri put it best you want more money or you want to win titles. Neymar is way too young to think solely abt money and piling it up for his eventual retirement. Money is tempting(more so to his father) but he wants titles and glory. We’ve been over the level of league and psg. I’m sure he knows it too. If he was 30, I’d believe wholeheartedly he’s gone to PSG. But he’s 25, his best years ahead, he won’t bury those in psg in league 1. Take heart, he won’t go

wowowowwww I like the positivity in you two anons!! I really like it.

I mean Leo became a natural leader over time and with the retirements of Xavi etc. Of course he wasn’t a leader when he first made his debut. I can understand Ney might wanna have a team around him and be the leader of one. I can 100% understand that he wants that and feels he might be ready for it and it would be good for his growth - like i previously said in an aks.  I feel he has the opportunity to be the leader of a team, full of talented star players, during the THE BIGGEST sports tournament in the world: the 2018 World Cup. 

However he gave up the captaincy of the NT, because of the insane amount of negative press he got during the Olympics. And while I agree that it was over the top: You are the leader so deal with it. In France L’Equipe is also brutal, but the pressure in France won’t even be remotely the same as in Spain. 

In France he will defiantly win some titles the Champions ship, the cup etc,.. But other than that…. I hope for him if he goes he succeeds (not when he plays against Barca) but I hope for him he succeeds. 

But I hope more that he stays here. At Barca. 

Anonymous said:(French anon) I’m watching PSG-ASM… BORINGGGGGGGGGGGG help!!!!Anonymous said:GO MONACO! lol

HAHHAHAHHA, Did you survive tho??? Tout bon? xD 

Anonymous said:this means he gonna stay yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas yahooooooo :D am madridista btw love you ash and ramos loves you ;)

What? xD 

Anonymous said:I dont even care. Wheter he leaves or stays. I just want him to say something.

Same… But I think we have to wait for a bit still… 

Anonymous said:But is not that means forcing the person that doesn’t want to stay to stay?! Barcelona should let Neymar go if he wants to go and buy other players with the money before the window closes. I want ney to stay but if doesn’t want to stay he should leave because forcing player that want to leave to stay will only create problems in the team.Anonymous said:This is not PSG who will buy the clause but Neymar, he’s going to buy his buyout clause by himself with the money he would get when he will go to Doha 😉, this is official by the way.Anonymous said:And Barça will not report PSG bc they buy the buyout clause but they will report them by the way they would buy it, that’s not the same thing thoAnonymous said:Argh, sorry it’s pay** not buy ahaAnonymous said:And to be honest this is pretty ridiculous from the club tho, I mean report PSG because they paid the clause? Smh 🙄

Neymar can leave if he wants (and if a club buys him out) but he signed a contract renewal in October so.. 

This isn’t  about P$G paying his release clause like any club can. This is about P$G probably violating the FFP rules for the second time meaning a bigger punishment. Again IF they violated these rules. 

Think this is a logical explanation. 

“Barcelona have decided to lodge a complaint against PSG if the French club sign Neymar. The Catalan club feel that if the player’s buyout clause is paid (222 million euros), UEFA must investigate where the money came from. In then numbers clubs present to UEFA each year, there are none able to pay more than 200 million euros for a player.  PSG have previously been punished and fined for breaking UEFA’s Fair Play rules. Therefore, a second punishment would not only lead to a fine, but also to sporting consequences, such as the possibility of suspension from the Champions League.”

And I liked what Tebas said the other day. If they do it with Barca now they do it to RMA or Atleti tomorrow. He also wants to take action wether they buy Ney or not… 

Anonymous said:It really hurt to see all this hate toward Neymar…

Yeah some of it I can understand. Some is way over the top. Like the hate from today because he went to the RMA locker room… 

Anonymous said:After messi’s goal didn’t ney celebrate with him??🙈😞

For a second you had me worried haha. But Ney was injured outside of the field. That’s why you didnt saw him celebrate. 

Anonymous said:i ship ash with Asensio

HAHAHHA, He’s a cutie pie, but he looks too young and probably is xD But we can have dinner and eat Dutch things hhaa. 

Anonymous said:Ney looked sad? Idk quiet not his usual charged self he even was sitting all by himself when taken off. The guy who normally comes running to celebrate with lio after the latter’s goal was the last to come& it was different. He looked like he is playing his last classico last game here

I dont know where he sat when he went off. I didnt think he looked sad. He looked happy and like I said above he was injured off the field so he couldnt run towards Leo. Have you seen how he celebrated with Ivan? And Geri??? 

Anonymous said:Least neymar can do even if he doesn’t want to talk is rebuff the ‘tired of staying in Messi’s shadow’ rumours. That’s sooooo unfair on Leo especially when he loves and has accommodated neymar so much.he could have easily done an insta post with Messi or something, laugh about it…if it was a brumar or Bruna rumour best believe he would have rebuffed it soo fast 🙄.if he just stops the Messi rumour he would gain at least a little respect back from Barca fans.

I’ve previously - a couple days ago - explained it could be true tho not as mean as it sounds. Just that he wants to be a leader too and knows here at Barca Leo is. 

[mayramoss-blog1]

Best FIFA Men's Player: 5 Reasons Why Antoine Griezmann Should Have Won This Year

When it was announced that Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Mohamed Salah were the three nominees for this year's Best FIFA Men's Player award, there was outrage that such an obvious and prominent name should be missing from the list.

That's right - Antoine Griezmann had the best year of his career so far, and possibly the best he ever will have. Major trophies, which had previously proved elusive for the Frenchman, arrived like London buses: first the Europa League, then the World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Griezmann shouldn't just be a nominee at this evening's awards ceremony - he should be among the favourites to win. Here are five reasons why.

1. He Won the World Cup!

You would have thought that winning the World Cup would be a pretty good way to get yourself in contention for individual prizes, and there were no shortage of brilliant French players who could have been nominated for the Best award.

Champions League winner Raphael Varane and young star Kylian Mbappe both have pretty good cases, but it was Griezmann who really rose to the top when it mattered most. After a slow start to the tournament, he came alive in the latter stages, scoring or assisting six goals in France's four knockout games. 

His cross for Samuel Umtiti's winner against Belgium springs to mind, as does his ice-cool penalty in the final against Croatia. While Salah was out in the group stages and Ronaldo was vanquished in the last 16, Griezmann led his country to glory. Surely that's got to be worth something.

2. Man for the Big Occasion

Dropping out of the Champions League and into the Europa League last season was a blow for Atletico Madrid, but Griezmann was determined to make the most of a bad situation. He scored four goals to help Atleti reach the final against Marseille, where the Frenchman brought his A game.

He capitalised on a defensive lapse to break the deadlock with a clinical finish, before doubling Atletico's lead with a deft chip over the goalkeeper just after half time. It was the first time Griezmann had ever scored in a final and just two months later he did it again with his penalty against Croatia.

Ronaldo was kept quiet by Andy Robertson and co. in the Champions League final, while Modric failed to bring his best against Griezmann's France in Moscow. The best players produce on the big occasions and Griezmann certainly did that this year.

3. He Plays for a Defensive Team

Atletico Madrid's strength is built on their defence, which conceded fewer goals than any other in La Liga last season. However, this emphasis on defence means that they also score far fewer goals than their closest rivals. Champions Barcelona scored 41 more goals than 2nd place Atletico in the 2017/18 season.

The fact that Griezmann is still so prolific in such a team shows what a great goalscorer he is. In fact, although Lionel Messi scored 15 more goals than Griezmann in La Liga last season, he scored 34% of Barcelona's goals. Griezmann scored 33% of Atletico's. In terms of their relative contributions, the two players are quite similar.

Ronaldo and Salah score so many goals because they play for flowing, attacking teams who throw caution to the wind and create countless chances per match. Griezmann must wait for his opportunities and take them when they come.

4. A Selfless Sharpshooter

There may a perception of Griezmann being a goal-hungry predator, but he wouldn't be playing for Atletico Madrid if he didn't recognise the power of teamwork. In addition to his 29 goals goals last season, he also provided 15 assists for his teammates. It was a similar story for France, with assists in the quarters, semis and final of the World Cup.

Salah was the only one of the nominees to notch more assists than Griezmann last season, with Ronaldo and Modric managing just eight assists each despite playing for Europe's best team - a team that scored over 40 goals more than Atletico.

When it comes to individual awards, far too much stock is placed on who scores the most goals. Griezmann scores his fair share of course, but it's what he brings to the team that makes him stand out above the rest.

5. He Turned Down Barcelona

Obviously this isn't a suggestion that Griezmann should win the award for not joining Barcelona. It's more about what it represents. By staying at Atletico, Griezmann has made a statement that the world's best players don't need to play for the world's richest clubs.

Perhaps this is naive of him - he is 27 now and could easily have won a few easy trophies at the Nou Camp. But no trophy would ever mean as much to Barca as it would to Atletico. Los Rojiblancos are well-fancied to go far in Europe this season and Griezmann would be a hero forever if he led them to Champions League glory for the first time.

If Griezmann can do that and be crowned as a club legend, it's doubtful he'll lose sleep over the awards ceremonies he missed out on.

Source link

http://www.manutdnews.online/best-fifa-mens-player-5-reasons-why-antoine-griezmann-should-have-won-this-year/

[footballghana]

Partey, Willian and the players on Arteta's wish list

It is going to be an intriguing off-season at Arsenal.

The need to improve the squad is clear, but exactly how the cash-strapped Gunners are going to manage it remains a bit of a mystery.

Mikel Arteta has not hidden his desire to bring in new additions, something he believes is essential if Arsenal are to start closing what he describes as the "enormous" gap that exists between themselves, Liverpool and Manchester City.

“You can see how [Liverpool] build their squad and there is no magic,” said the Spaniard. “You need to improve the squad with quality, quality players. And we need a bigger squad to compete in this competition. That is the challenge.”

But with Arsenal’s finances in a very difficult position due to the coronavirus pandemic and with Champions League football beyond them once again next season, money is going to be exceptionally tight - especially if they fail to beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final and miss out on European football altogether.

There is a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Emirates at the moment, one that will not be lifted until after the Wembley showpiece on August 1 and until the future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is decided one way or another.

“If you ask me if I know right now what do I have and how can I do it, I'm sorry but I don't know because there are a lot of questions that we can not resolve right now with the situation we have,” said Arteta.

“One is financially and the other one is because we do not know if we are in Europe and because we have players that we don't know what's going to happen [with them]. That's the reality.”

Arsenal's likely summer transfer signings

Arteta is looking at his midfield as the key priority this summer.

He wants to add a box-to-box midfielder, one who can offer the defence some real protection, but who can also get the ball moving forward to get Arsenal on the front foot.

Thomas Partey is his primary target, with the Atletico Madrid midfielder having long been identified as a player who could make a significant impact in north London.

Arsenal were interested in the Ghana international last year before Arteta even arrived, and the Spaniard is more than happy for that chase to continue this summer.

The issue for Arsenal is his price tag. Partey has a release clause of £44 million ($50m), and that is a figure that Arsenal will struggle to pay unless they sell first to help raise funds.

There is an option to try and include a player in some sort of swap deal with Atleti, with the Spanish side having held a long-term interest in Alexandre Lacazette, who has two years left on his current deal.

Matteo Guendouzi, who has been training alone at London Colney following the fall-out from his clash with Neal Maupay at Brighton, could also be of interest to Atletico. Lucas Torreira is another player Arsenal could potentially look to include to tempt Madrid into doing a deal.

Partey is well aware of Arsenal’s interest and is understood to be open to the idea of moving to Arsenal, which is why he has so far held off signing the new contract that has been offered to him by Atletico.

The next few weeks will be key in terms of Arsenal landing their number one target this summer.

Arteta is also keen to bring Dani Ceballos back to the club for another season, with Arsenal currently talking to Real Madrid about another season-long loan for the midfielder, who has been in fine form in recent weeks.

A permanent move is unlikely at this stage, but Arsenal are confident of sealing another season-long loan for the 23-year-old.

Another midfield option could be Porto's Danilo Pereira, who has welcomed reports linking him with a move to the Emirates.

“(Arteta) is doing a really, really, good job there,” Pereira told Stats Perform News. “He is a really good coach and Arsenal play very good football.

“The style…I think I can fit there (at Arsenal). Of course, I like to be here in Porto, to be here in my country, but I want to be in a better league like the Premier League.”

As well as looking to bolster the engine room in midfield, Arsenal are hoping to add some extra creativity in the attacking areas.

Orkun Kokcu was a target, but he has now signed a new long-term contract extension at Feyenoord.

Willian, meanwhile, is a player of interest and is set to be available on a free transfer, providing he does not make a late U-turn to sign a new deal with Chelsea.

The Brazil winger is happy in London and it would not be a surprise if he were to follow in the footsteps of David Luiz in making the switch from Stamford Bridge to the Emirates.

Philippe Coutinho continues to be linked, with Barcelona desperate to get the former Liverpool playmaker off their books. But a permanent deal would be impossible for Arsenal given the finances involved, and even a loan would be unlikely, given the Brazil international’s £250,000 wages.

Arsenal are also looking at bringing in another centre-back this summer to go along with the arrival of William Saliba, who has spent the past year on loan at Saint-Etienne.

Dayot Upamecano has long been admired in north London and could be on the move this summer, given he only has a year left on his contract with RB Leipzig and the German club have been adamant they will not allow the centre-back to leave for free in 2021.

He has a release clause of around £54m ($69m), but Leipzig are likely to accept less than that at this stage due to his contract situation. Arsenal would still be unlikely to afford their asking price, however.

They do have other options, with the club having held talks with free agent Malang Sarr, who has just left Nice. The Gunners have also watched Axel Disasi on several occasions and have contacted Reims about his availability.

John Stones, who could become surplus to requirements at Manchester City should Pep Guardiola sign a new centre-back, has also been linked.

Whether Arsenal look to bring in a new forward depends on the futures of Aubameyang and Lacazette. If one leaves, then a replacement will need to be brought in.

Gunners scouts have watched Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard on several occasions this season and have enquired about Gent’s Jonathan David, although a move to France or Germany looks likely to be the Canada international’s next move. Moussa Dembele at Lyon is another player who is admired in north London.

Arsenal's likely summer transfer exits

Matteo Guendouzi is looking increasingly likely to leave north London this summer having fallen out with Mikel Arteta.

The French midfielder is currently training on his own and has not featured since the defeat at Brighton on June 20 when he clashed with Seagulls striker Neal Maupay soon after the full-time whistle.

Sources close to Guendouzi insist the player is just concentrating on getting through to the end of the season when a decision on his future will be made, but Arsenal are believed to have been offering him to various clubs around Europe, either for a straight fee or as a part of a swap deal.

Lucas Torreira’s future remains unclear, with the Uruguay international yet to nail down a starting spot under Arteta. He was substituted after just 45 minutes against Aston Villa on Tuesday and has several clubs in Italy keeping tabs on his situation.

Arsenal would love to move Mesut Ozil on and get his £350,000-a-week salary off the wage bill, but the German playmaker has always been adamant he will see out his current deal, which expires in 2021.

The future of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will dominate the headlines until he decides whether or not to extend his stay with the Gunners. If he does not, then Arsenal will have to decide whether to cash in this summer or let him leave on a free transfer in 2021.

Sokratis, who has played just one minute of football since the restart, would be allowed to leave, though sources close to the player insist at this point he is happy to stay, with one year left on his current deal.

Arsenal would also be willing to let Sead Kolasinac and Mohamed Elneny depart should suitable bids arrive, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been linked with a move away - although Arteta insists he wants to keep the academy graduate.

It is likely Jordi Osei-Tutu will move following his impressive loan spell with VfL Bochum last season. He has now returned to England, but will not want to go back to Under-23s football.

Highly-rated young forward Folarin Balogun is also expected to exit the club after talks over a new contract broke down.

How Arsenal could line up after the transfer window

If there are to be significant changes in the Arsenal XI for the 2020-21 season, they will more than likely come in the midfield areas.

If they can get deals done for Thomas Partey and Willian, they would come into the team, while William Saliba will slot into the backline following the end of his loan spell with Saint-Etienne.

One interesting sub-plot to follow will be who gets the nod in goal.

Bernd Leno was the undoubted No.1 before his injury, but the exceptional form of Emiliano Martinez will give Arteta a difficult decision to make ahead of the new campaign.

Source: goal.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[footballghana]

Is Atletico Madrid midfielder Partey on the verge of Premier League move?

Arsenal are reportedly ramping up their summer pursuit of Thomas Partey, and it is clear to see why he is a player in such high demand.

The Daily Express claims that The Gunners are 'upping their interest' in the Atletico Madrid midfielder - just the latest report in a long-rumoured transfer.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic will leave many clubs seeking suitable ways of structuring deals, but Partey's intentions and his reachable £45m buyout clause make him one of Europe's most sought-after players.

Talk of an imminent switch to the Gunners gathered momentum when Partey's father, Jacob, told Ghanaian radio station Entsie en Tru FM recently: "Arsenal would be good for him, they have lots of followers in Ghana. He'd be happy if he went to Arsenal."

Atletico are even willing to offer Partey double his current £65,000-a-week wages and are keen to insert a new £91m buyout clause in his contract to fend off interest from elsewhere.

Arsenal are not the only European club to have been linked with the player plucked from Ghanaian club Odometah FC in 2012. Juventus and Manchester United are also said to be paying close attention to developments.

With Partey's current Atletico contract still having three years to run, Sky Sports spoke to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter about the possibility of him moving to the Premier League.

Could Atletico's finances dictate Partey departure?

Atletico accrued £178m in debt with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's company Inbursa in order to facilitate their move to the Wanda Metropolitano - and that is not due to be paid off in full until 2028.

Diego Simeone is the world's highest-paid manager, and while he has taken a 70 per cent pay cut from his £36.2m salary, Atletico will be feeling the financial strain of the pandemic more than most clubs - less than a year after Joao Felix's arrival for a club-record £113m from Benfica.

"Nobody knows how much clubs are going to lose financially in the current climate," Hunter began to Sky Sports.

"Atleti will have received a tremendous amount of money from a quite brilliant Champions League campaign but that has been curtailed. They would have expected to be playing in a Champions League semi-final match, and they'd have been paid more money by UEFA.

"I believe they're close to €70m ahead financially because of their participation and success in the Champions League this season due to the new funding structure which is so extraordinary.

"But their debt probably does mean a few clubs are going to be more fortunate going to Atleti and asking about some of their players than they would have been in other situations."

Will Atletico view Llorente as Partey replacement?

It was in the last significant match prior to football's shutdown that Marcos Llorente announced himself as Partey's potential successor. Llorente had only scored three career goals before his two in extra-time to knock defending champions Liverpool out of the Champions League.

Partey played in a deeper role to allow Llorente the freedom to join the attack, but Hunter believes his natural defensive qualities would soften the blow if Atletico were to sell their chief destroyer.

"From Atleti's side, although Partey has been for a long time a significantly important player, there is some degree of manoeuvrability because Marcos Llorente could come in. Partey is much happier sitting in an area, controlling the flow of games, blocking, and building attacks again.

"Llorente is not an identical footballer - he's much more athletic and more prone to interceding in situations and he obviously scored crucial goals at Anfield. He is a player who stood out for Alaves on loan from Real Madrid and genuinely looked a top-class footballer there.

"When he went back to Real, I don't think anyone is sure why, in football terms, he and Zinedine Zidane didn't hit it off. Now, he's at Atleti going into his second season there and he is someone like Partey who's really learned from working under Diego Simeone.

"Partey's development under Simeone has been huge, and with Llorente there, Atletico need to consider whether they can afford to let their Ghanaian international go and gain financially from a deal to Arsenal. Without Llorente at the club, losing Partey would be significantly more testing for Atleti than it is right now."

How would Partey fit in at Arsenal?

Graphic courtesy of Statsbomb

Granit Xhaka could be the player in most danger of losing his place in Arteta's side were Partey to move to North London.

Arsenal would not turn to Partey for creativity from midfield if he were to join; Koke (56) and Hector Herrera (20) have created more chances than his 17 in La Liga.

Conversely, of all the midfielders in La Liga, only former Manchester City destroyer Fernando has received more yellow cards at Sevilla than the 26-year-old's 12, underlying his tenacious approach at the other end of the pitch.

Hunter added: "Partey speaks decent English, so that wouldn't be an obstacle from him were he to go to the Premier League. He's still at an age where the pace and the physicality of the Premier League wouldn't be beyond him. He's not the quickest, but he's an athlete that keeps going.

"I don't imagine for a second that he grew up idolising Mikel Arteta, but because of the amount of English football that's shown in Ghana, and because of the role that Arteta played as a midfielder in the Premier League, I'm sure Partey will feel he would be working for a coach who would be able to educate him still further in the arts of organising the centre of midfield."

Could the pandemic scupper a potential move?

Like all aspects of life, football has been hit hard by the pandemic - and one area without exemption is player recruitment.

The financial significance is being felt to varying degrees depending on the size of the club and its financial model - and while Hunter believes there will be a "downsizing of overall outlay", Partey's reported £45m release clause makes him good value for money.

"Certainly, the transfer market will be determined by the impact the global shutdown has had and teams will have to tailor their expenditure in a different way given that for a long period they will have had less revenue.

"Clubs will be sensitive to the fact there's been a really grave impact on all our populations, but I think that football will continue respectfully. The difference in what clubs are going to want to spend on players will be governed by their own internal book-keeping, and I think there will be a downsizing of overall outlay.

"A lot of clubs won't be able to buy at margins that they previously thought were acceptable, just because they won't have the capacity that they expected to have.

Graphic courtesy of Statsbomb

"Partey still represents very good value given his buyout clause, something which is very normal in Spain. It's too low and Atletico were in discussions about extending his contract and increasing his buyout before the lockdown.

"This would have been beneficial for him and for the club and detrimental for a club like Arsenal. He's an extremely valuable and popular player for Atleti, having also played at centre-back and right-back under Simeone.

"In one game earlier this season, Partey was used as a second striker when Cholo [Simeone] was looking for a goal - a goal he would then help produce. He's a footballer who primarily plays in a similar position as Arteta and Simeone did, but he has flexibility that adds to his value when it comes to weighing up what should be spent on him."

Could Lacazette be included in a potential swap deal?

It was reported in April by The Sun that Arsenal were willing to offer Alexandre Lacazette in a part-exchange deal, while there were further claims in Spain that the Frenchman had been in contact with Antoine Griezmann to request information about Simeone's management style.

Lacazette moved to deny those rumours on social media, and Hunter believes that while Atletico need to increase the number of goals in their team, the 29-year-old does not fit the club's striker profile.

"Right now, Atletico need the stability of a cash injection, and I think that would be more attractive on balance, but the current team's primary flaw at the moment is a lack of goals.

"It's something that has actually dogged them for some time: they've scored 43 goals in 33 league games - just over a goal a game.

"They still defend well, perhaps not quite as miserly as they used to, but Barcelona have scored nearly double Atleti's goals (74) while Real Madrid (60) have got 17 more, so these are really significant numbers if you want to be challenging to win trophies and to be in the top four of La Liga.

"Atleti are currently outside of the top four only by a point, but to not get into the Champions League next season would be very debilitating for the club financially. There is a need for goals, and whether Lacazette has all the requisites and specifically has the right age profile is questionable.

"If you look at the majority of strikers they've purchased in their recent history, they tend to be in their very early 20s and they pick well. Lacazette has got the talent and the pace, there's no question about that, but whether he's what Atleti need right now with his salary, I'd be a little unsure."

Source: skysports.com

source: https://footballghana.com/

[footballghana]

Thomas Partey: Is Atletico Madrid midfielder on the verge of Premier League move?

Thomas Partey is reportedly open to a move to Arsenal this summer, and it is clear to see why he is a player in such high demand.

The Daily Telegraph claimed this week that the Atletico Madrid midfielder has emerged as one of Arsenal's primary transfer targets as Mikel Arteta seeks to strengthen his midfield options.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic will leave many clubs seeking suitable ways of structuring deals, but Partey's intentions and his reachable £45m buyout clause make him one of Europe's most sought-after players.

Talk of an imminent switch to the Gunners gathered momentum when Partey's father, Jacob, told Ghanaian radio station Entsie en Tru FM last month: "Arsenal would be good for him, they have lots of followers in Ghana. He'd been happy if he went to Arsenal".

Atletico are even willing to offer Partey double his current £65,000-a-week wages and are keen to insert a new £91m buyout clause in his contract to fend off interest from elsewhere.

Arsenal are not the only European club to have been linked with the player plucked from Ghanaian club Odometah FC in 2012. Juventus and Manchester United are also said to be paying close attention to developments.

With Partey's current Atletico contract still having three years to run, Sky Sports spoke to Spanish football expert Graham Hunter about the possibility of him moving to the Premier League.

Could Atletico's finances dictate Partey departure?

Atletico accrued £178m in debt with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's company Inbursa in order to facilitate their move to the Wanda Metropolitano - and that is not due to be paid off in full until 2028.

Diego Simeone is the world's highest-paid manager, and while he has taken a 70 per cent pay cut from his £36.2m salary, Atletico will be feeling the financial strain of the pandemic more than most clubs - less than a year after Joao Felix's arrival for a club-record £113m from Benfica.

"Nobody knows how much clubs are going to lose financially in the current climate," Hunter began to Sky Sports.

"Atleti will have received a tremendous amount of money from a quite brilliant Champions League campaign but that has been curtailed. They would have expected to be playing in a Champions League semi-final match this week, and they'd have been paid more money by UEFA.

"I believe they're close to €70m ahead financially because of their participation and success in the Champions League this season due to the new funding structure which is so extraordinary.

"But their debt probably does mean a few clubs are going to be more fortunate going to Atleti and asking about some of their players than they would have been in other situations."

Will Atletico view Llorente as Partey replacement?

It was in the last significant match prior to football's shutdown that Marcos Llorente announced himself as Partey's potential successor. Llorente had only scored three career goals before his two in extra-time to knock defending champions Liverpool out of the Champions League.

Partey played in a deeper role to allow Llorente the freedom to join the attack, but Hunter believes his natural defensive qualities would soften the blow if Atletico were to sell their chief destroyer.

"From Atleti's side, although Partey has been for a long time a significantly important player, there is some degree of manoeuvrability because Marcos Llorente could come in. Partey is much happier sitting in an area, controlling the flow of games, blocking and building attacks again.

"Llorente is not an identical footballer - he's much more athletic and more prone to interceding in situations and he obviously scored crucial goals at Anfield. He is a player who stood out for Alaves on loan from Real Madrid and genuinely looked a top-class footballer there.

"When he went back to Real, I don't think anyone is sure why, in football terms, he and Zinedine Zidane didn't hit it off. Now, he's at Atleti going into his second season there and he is someone like Partey who's really learned from working under Diego Simeone.

"Partey's development under Simeone has been huge, and with Llorente there, Atletico need to consider whether they can afford to let their Ghanaian international go and gain financially from a deal to Arsenal. Without Llorente at the club, losing Partey would be significantly more testing for Atleti than it is right now."

How would Partey fit in at Arsenal?

Graphic courtesy of Statsbomb

Granit Xhaka could be the player in most danger of losing his place in Arteta's side were Partey to move to North London.

Arsenal would not turn to Partey for creativity from midfield if he were to join; Koke (46) and Hector Herrera (17) have created more chances than his 16 in La Liga.

Conversely, no midfielder in the Spanish top flight has received more yellow cards that the 26-year-old's 10, underlying his tenacious approach at the other end of the pitch.

Hunter added: "Partey speaks decent English, so that wouldn't be an obstacle from him were he to go to the Premier League. He's still at an age where the pace and the physicality of the Premier League wouldn't be beyond him. He's not the quickest, but he's an athlete that keeps going.

"I don't imagine for a second that he grew up idolising Mikel Arteta, but because of the amount of English football that's shown in Ghana, and because of the role that Arteta played as a midfielder in the Premier League, I'm sure Partey will feel he would be working for a coach who would be able to educate him still further in the arts of organising the centre of midfield."

Could the pandemic scupper a potential move?

Like all aspects of life, football has been hit hard by the pandemic - and one area without exemption is player recruitment.

The financial significance is being felt to varying degrees depending on the size of the club and its financial model - and while Hunter believes there will be a "downsizing of overall outlay", Partey's reported £45m release clause makes him good value for money.

"Certainly, the transfer market will be determined by the impact the global shutdown has had and teams will have to tailor their expenditure in a different way given that for a long period they will have had less revenue.

"Clubs will be sensitive to the fact there's been a really grave impact on all our populations, but I think that football will continue respectfully. The difference in what clubs are going to want to spend on players will be governed by their own internal book-keeping, and I think there will be a downsizing of overall outlay.

"A lot of clubs won't be able to buy at margins that they previously thought were acceptable, just because they won't have the capacity that they expected to have.

Graphic courtesy of Statsbomb

"Partey still represents very good value given his buyout clause, something which is very normal in Spain. It's too low and Atletico were in discussions about extending his contract and increasing his buyout before the lockdown.

"This would have been beneficial for him and for the club and detrimental for a club like Arsenal. He's an extremely valuable and popular player for Atleti, having also played at centre-back and right-back under Simeone.

"In one game earlier this season, Partey was used as a second striker when Cholo [Simeone] was looking for a goal - a goal he would then help produce. He's a footballer who primarily plays in a similar position as Arteta and Simeone did, but he has flexibility that adds to his value when it comes to weighing up what should be spent on him."

Could Lacazette be included in a potential swap deal?

It was reported last month by The Sun that Arsenal were willing to offer Alexandre Lacazette in a part-exchange deal, while there were further claims in Spain that the Frenchman had been in contact with Antoine Griezmann to request information about Simeone's management style.

Lacazette moved to deny those rumours this week on social media, and Hunter believes that while Atletico need to increase the number of goals in their team, the 28-year-old does not fit the club's striker profile.

"Right now, Atletico need the stability of a cash injection, and I think that would be more attractive on balance, but the current team's primary flaw at the moment is a lack of goals.

"It's something that has actually dogged them for some time: they've scored 31 goals in 27 league games - just over a goal a game.

"They still defend well, perhaps not quite as miserly as they used to, but Barcelona have scored more than double Atleti's goals [63] while Real Madrid [49] have got 18 more, so these are really significant numbers if you want to be challenging to win trophies and to be in the top four of La Liga.

"Atleti are currently outside of the top four only by a point, but to not get into the Champions League next season would be very debilitating for the club financially. There is a need for goals, and whether Lacazette has all the requisites and specifically has the right age profile is questionable.

"If you look at the majority of strikers they've purchased in their recent history, they tend to be in their very early 20s and they pick well. Lacazette has got the talent and the pace, there's no question about that, but whether he's what Atleti need right now with his salary, I'd be a little unsure."

Source: skysports

source: https://footballghana.com/

[gadgetsrevv]

Atletico won the summer transfer window but will they pip Barcelona and Real Madrid to La Liga?

The 2019-20 La Liga season kicks off this weekend and much of the attention will be on the top three teams fighting it out for the title. Graham Hunter gets you ready for the new campaign with a look at how their offseasons unfolded.

Jump to: Will Felix be La Liga’s star? | Can Atletico’s new arrivals shine? | Did Real do bad business? | Neymar a distraction for Barcelona?

Atletico Madrid have won the summer, hands down.

Diego Simeone’s team having sold over €300 million of talent and brought in over €240m of young, hungry replacements (to date) means that even if either of their La Liga arms race rivals managed to land Neymar before the window closes on Sept. 2, Barcelona sheepishly pick up the silver medal, with Real Madrid not only third (where they finished the last two La Liga campaigns) but frantically trying to convince everyone that bronze looks awfully similar to gold.

If only there were a trophy to show for it. The transfer-related tag of “Summer Champions” signifies about as much as the increasingly heard but slightly risible tag of “Winter Champions” for those who sit top of the table when the Christmas break arrives.

Nevertheless: a job well begun is a job half done, right? So let’s give more than just kudos and a patronising pat on the back to Atleti. They faced what looked like a horrendous challenge, haemorrhaging a mix of experience, winning mentality, club legends and two superb young bucks in Rodri and Lucas Hernandez. Yet their judgement, efficacy of market management, speed of work, ability to spot the revelation of this transfer window (or indeed many previous), Joao Felix, and their net spend of around €8m — if you factor in the €60m arrival of Rodrigo from Valencia — suggests that Atleti have spat in the eye of adversity.

Whether it wins them La Liga remains to be seen, but a summer that could have left them fighting an uphill battle now sees them muscular, nimble and potentially able to punch above their weight. This season in Spain is going to be exciting, a real smackdown between the three giants of La Liga — Barca, Real and Atletico — so here are some talking points.

Will Joao Felix be La Liga’s star?

Felix is only 19, still rather slender and will find it testing to work with Atletico manager Diego Simeone and coaches Mono Burgos and Oscar Ortega. Felix is a La Liga debutant with initiation songs to sing, pranks to put up with and image-management by the club imposed on him so that expectations are dampened after his €126m arrival.

Instead, this is a kid blessed with such extraordinary talent, such chutzpah, acceleration, positional wit and an exceptional eye for goal that his Atleti teammates are already instinctively looking for him whenever they have the ball. Every single player in that squad has taken one look and said: “We have signed a diamond — let’s get him on the ball.”

– When does the 2019-20 La Liga season start? – ESPN La Liga fantasy: Sign up now!

If the composer George Frideric Handel were still alive, Atleti would be commissioning him to compose a second Hallelujah chorus. They have found their Messiah.

No matter his talent, a player of Felix’s age, carrying such a weight of expectation and responsibility, will encounter bumps along the road in his first complete season in La Liga. That said, the move remains extraordinary for a number of reasons. With Madrid and Barcelona involved in what is both an unseemly and, arguably, unnecessary squabble for Neymar’s grossly expensive services, don’t they both look stupid for missing the chance to purchase Felix? The answer is a resounding “YES!”

Moreover, Atleti somehow managed to agree with Benfica, the player and his agent, Jorge Mendes, a payment plan where they only have to splash out in the region of €40m (down payment, agent payment, sell-on payment to Porto where he originated) before the rest is paid over the course of his contract. If Felix performs well enough to help Atleti reach at least the Champions League semifinals, the forward could earn the his new club the entire remainder of the fee within nine months. That. Is. Utterly. Astonishing. Business.

Can Atletico’s other new arrivals replace those who left?

Losing Rodri (€70m to Manchester City) and Lucas (€80m to Bayern Munich) are blows Atletico would have wanted to avoid, but the club have long known they would need replacing at some point.

At the back, even though Diego Godin — who left for Inter this summer — was bedevilled by errors last season, it’s worth waiting to evaluate the loss of his personality and “win at any cost” attitude. But for Atleti to add the tall, tough Felipe from Porto, as well as the talented Mario Hermoso, for €30m less than Bayern were forced to pay for Lucas, is spectacular.

Kieran Trippier’s move from Tottenham came out of the blue but while he might not be as attentive to details and defensive concentration as Simeone likes, his attitude and crossing ability should give A+ service to what should be a thrilling Atleti front line.

None of Renan Lodi, Hector Herrera or Ivan Saponjic make you fret for Atleti’s investments, while Marcos Llorente, signed from hated rivals Real Madrid, is a fine facsimile of Rodri. They aren’t identically talented but Llorente was under-priced at €30m, brims with energy, industry and athleticism, is a superb professional and looks ready to make Atleti’s central midfield punishingly hard-working.

Then there’s the “other Rodri,” Rodrigo Moreno. If Atleti wrap up a €60m move for this athletic, relentlessly team-minded striker, who has been playing winning international football with Koke and Alvaro Morata since they were all kids, it’s the icing on the cake.

Atletico have had one hell of a summer. But it’s not over yet. Spain’s transfer market closes on Sept. 2 and there’s still time for huge change, though they are already looking in better shape than their rivals.

The fact that several key veterans chose to leave at the end of their contracts had threatened disaster, but it can now be construed as advantageous. Madrid and Barca are replete with players on high wages they’d like to ship out but who are refusing to budge. Not Atleti.

Has Real Madrid’s spending addressed their needs?

Atleti’s rapier-like approach to business contrasts starkly with Real Madrid’s blunderbuss style. Yes, they’ve splashed out (at the time of writing) €305.5m (gross, not net) and there’s quite a lot of “rock ‘n roll” glitz to boast about with the likes of Eden Hazard. But have they specifically reinforced the things which went awry last season? Have they done what coach Zinedine Zidane wanted this summer?

In short, no. And an utterly horrific 7-3 thrashing imposed on Zidane’s team by Atletico at the ICC tournament in July, suggests that Real might not even be favourites in their own city, let alone for the La Liga title.

Left-back Ferland Mendy was indeed a Zizou choice, and has sparked Marcelo‘s competitive instincts, but at €48m it’s not good that Mendy already out with a thigh injury. Centre-back Eder Militao may turn out to be an ideal buy, but Zidane has been flitting uncertainly between four at the back and a 5-3-2/3-5-2 system, so we’ll see how quickly the €50m 21-year-old (a €40m+ profit for Porto just 12 months after buying him) can bring security at the back.

Rodrygo and Kubo (an 18-year-old Japanese starlet who was initially part of FC Barcelona’s academy until their FIFA ban was imposed) ooze promise, thrills and a sprinkling of the magic dust of international marketing allure, yet will struggle to make a real impact until they gain a bit more experience.

– When does the transfer window close? – Transfer grades: Tracking every big club’s deals – All major completed transfer deals

Hazard adds the pedigree — unquestionably a talent of gargantuan proportions — but why on earth did the €100m winger turn up for work at his new club, one which is in turmoil, in the kind of preseason shape which would have been acceptable in, say, 1978? It’s not Madrid’s fault but it’s certainly emblematic of dipping standards.

And finally, €60m striker Luka Jovic will score goals but looks well short of having the build up play and savvy which Madrid will need against the elite group of Liga and European clubs they measure themselves against. He’s that mythical breed of striker who “only” scores goals. An odd, expensive signing.

The players who have arrived all add their own parts of youth, athleticism, hunger and energy — valuable commodities in what was a moribund Madrid squad last season — but there are still more weaknesses in the business which club president Florentino Perez and his right hand man, Jose Angel Sanchez, have managed to conduct since May.

Gareth Bale, with the Premier League and Chinese transfer markets now closed, has stayed put — despite Zidane admitting in public that “it would be best” if the Welshman left — and is likely to stay unless PSG accept him in part exchange for Neymar or he’s sent out on loan.

Thus far, there has been no move for Man United midfielder Paul Pogba either. Whether the controversial World Cup winner is or isn’t the cure for Los Blancos’ midfield ills, Zidane is wedded to the idea of buying him and has been infuriated by Perez’s failure to secure that deal.

If Neymar arrives, it will be like salt in the wound. Thus far, Real’s best midfield options look like being composed of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, which although still full of class, is bemusing. Slow, sometimes disinterested, porous, unable to control possession, lacking athleticism and physicality all last season it’s remarkable that (attempts to sign Pogba aside) no corrective action has been taken to strengthen the midfield.

Will Barcelona be distracted by Neymar pursuit?

Judging them by their own, well-publicised objectives for the close-season, Barca could award themselves a complacent pat on the back, a glass of cava, exchange mutually appreciative smiles amongst their football-executives — and then their rivals could laugh up their sleeves at the Camp Nou finances.

Barcelona’s self-set tasksheet was: add competition at left-back, augment possession-control and passing in midfield and then, a year late, add French flair up front. Junior Firpo, Frenkie de Jong and Antoine Griezmann (was there really any doubt where he was going?) tick those boxes.

Throw in some measurable progress from their young talents (Jean-Clair Todibo, Carles Alena, Ricki Puig and Carles Perez) and the outward signs are decent. However, even with the departures of Malcom, Andre Gomes, Marc Cucurella and Denis Suarez, Barcelona need to sell … and profitably.

Rafinha, Philippe Coutinho and Juan Miranda must be calculating how long it’ll take them to unpack their training ground lockers, while if the right price were offered for Arturo Vidal then the Camp Nou bean-counters would produce their abacuses in Olympic time.

The club has vastly strained its financial muscle for three reasons. 1) expensive contract extensions; 2) investment in the Camp Nou renovation project; 3) President Josep Maria Bartomeu’s public promise that his parting gift (before summer 2021, which is the latest there can be elections to determine his successor) will be another lengthening of Lionel Messi‘s contract.

Messi craves Champions League victories, not because Cristiano Ronaldo has more of them but because he’s a natural-born competitor, who has also suffered a series of brutal European disappointments in recent years at the hands of Atletico, Juventus, Roma and Liverpool.

If Bartomeu wants “Team Messi” to look indulgently on the opening of contract negotiations, he’ll do well to re-patriate Neymar. Messi, whether you concur or not, believes that his Brazilian pal will add incisor teeth to Barca’s European bite (Luis Suarez hasn’t scored a Champions League goal away from home for nearly four years and only hit the net five times in the last 29 UCL matches).

However as long as PSG keep insisting on cash only for Neymar, whether that sum is €120m or €220m, Barcelona can’t afford to buy him back. I believe it’s that simple. Nor, it seems increasingly clear, can they persuade Ivan Rakitic or his Sevilla-born wife, that the footballing life (and climate) is anything but worse any further north than Barcelona. PSG want the Croatian, but like Bale at Madrid, he’s not keen to depart.

All of which leaves both Barcelona and Madrid desperately thrashing around for a means to secure a Brazilian they can’t afford, didn’t budget for and who’ll also cost them dearly in terms of existing playing staff (Vinicius Jr., Isco, Karim Benzema and Rodrygo at Real; Ousmane Dembele and Coutinho at Barca) who’d be required to drop to the bench or leave altogether.

Meanwhile, over at Atletico, Felix may still only hint at the potential to reproduce what Neymar has achieved in his career, but the Portuguese is impressing with a new cadre of athletic and hungry teammates around him.

Atleti win the summer. Now, can they add the La Liga title?

Hold tight, this battle has the potential to be immensely entertaining, explosive, and potentially embarrassing for some.

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