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Antoine Griezmann will return for Atletico Madrid towards Espanyol however head coach Diego Simeone insisted his focus is on the workforce dynamic and making certain his gifted attacking choices click on, quite than people.
The France ahead made a exceptional transfer again from Barcelona, initially becoming a member of the reigning LaLiga champions on mortgage with both membership holding the choice to increase for an extra yr.
Griezmann scored 133 targets throughout 257 video games in his first spell earlier than that finally ill-fated €120million transfer to the Catalan giants in 2019, and Simeone revealed his new loanee is relishing a homecoming.
“I discovered [Antoine] Griezmann wanting to return to Atletico Madrid, very enthusiastic concerning the state of affairs of returning to the workforce,” Simeone informed reporters on Saturday.
Nevertheless, the 51-year-old head coach wished to keep away from specializing in people as Atletico look to finish a three-game winless away run at Espanyol in LaLiga.
Luis Suarez, who has been concerned in 15 targets in 11 top-flight appearances towards Sunday’s opponents, may hyperlink up together with his former Barca colleague Griezmann once more, although the France star will face a battle for a spot within the facet given Atletico now boast a wealth of attacking expertise amongst their ranks.
Angel Correa has thrived as a help striker, scoring thrice within the first two LaLiga video games, as Atletico opened with back-to-back wins for the fourth time within the Simeone period.
Versatile attacker Matheus Cunha then arrived from Hertha Berlin for a reported €26m charge late within the switch window.
The Brazil ahead created 54 possibilities – rating him sixth amongst forwards in Germany – final season, whereas solely 5 forwards throughout the highest 5 European leagues accomplished extra dribbles than Cunha’s 123 since his arrival in Berlin again in January 2020.
Yannick Carrasco was the one Atletico participant to finish 100 dribbles in that point and the Belgian winger – typically used as a wing-back final time period – led membership charts for possibilities created (47) in LaLiga in 2020-21.
Add the likes of Joao Felix, Thomas Lemar, Marcos Llorente and Rodrigo De Paul to the equation and Simeone has a wealth of artistic skills to name on. Now he can look to Griezmann as effectively.
Though his Barcelona spell might not have lived as much as expectations, he nonetheless netted 20 occasions throughout 51 appearances in all competitions final season, offering 12 assists and creating 67 possibilities for Ronald Koeman’s facet. That was two greater than he managed in 2017-18, arguably the best particular person marketing campaign of Griezmann’s profession.
However Simeone just isn’t kidding himself. Whereas he has nice expertise at his disposal, he wants them to click on.
“Inner competitors has grown and that leads us to compete higher,” Simeone continued.
“At first it’s simple to talk from the names. I consider in males and in how a workforce is executed. We’re completely at all times in search of a workforce.
“Names do not workforce up, males do. We are going to go in that search of that dedication now we have in the direction of the membership, at all times in search of the perfect.”
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