Atletico have been crazy this summer and have already surpassed Barcelona and Real Madrid in terms of player introductions. Real Madrid have entered a period of silence after bringing in Mbappe, and there seem to be no plans for more reinforcements. Barcelona also only has Olmo and Nico passing, and Atletico Madrid has really made one reinforcement after another.
It all seems to start with Alvaro Morata's departure. Atletico's original center forward was Morata, who won the European Championship with Spain, and his individual performance was also recognized by the outside world. Atletico Madrid must be happy as his old club, but what he didn't expect was to return to Atletico Madrid, Morata told Atletico that he wanted to leave, and the next home was AC Milan.
Alvaro Morata's liquidated damages at Atletico are low, at only 13 million euros. So Atletico doesn't have the initiative at all, as long as he wants to leave and the next family is willing to pay these fees, he can leave. It's useless for Atletico Madrid to say no, not to mention that the 13 million euros are really not high at all for the giants who want to take him.
In terms of central strikers, Atletico Madrid is already in short supply, wingers and shadow strikers are a bunch, plus Felix has returned from the end of his loan spell at Barcelona, and there is one more. So for Atletico Madrid, in such a surprise situation, if you want to bring in a center forward, you must be asked by other clubs for a high price. It can't be helped, but it has to be done again.
Soon the first centre-forward arrived, and that was Sollot from Villarreal, the 28-year-old 1.95m centre-forward who scored 23 goals in 34 La Liga games last season. This goal efficiency is already very good, and his height is particularly suitable for Atletico Madrid's needs, what Atletico Madrid wants is this kind of center forward who can stand on the pile and be the fulcrum.
So why Alvarez?
One simple reason is that Sollot needs a substitute and a partner. Antoine Griezmann is certainly the first choice for a partner, but Atletico are also a third-tier team and Alvarez will certainly have his chances. After all, the players who spent 90 million euros on Atletico Madrid to sign will not always be on the bench.
If it weren't for Atletico's desperate shortage of centre-forwards, Atletico might have acquired Alvarez for a lower transfer fee. Since the high price has arrived, he will definitely do his best to reach his potential. What Alvarez has to do is balance his mentality and not rush to be the main force and the core. You have to respect Antoine Griezmann, who has the ability to play with a high striker up front and can play with assists or scoring.
Obviously at this point, Alvarez can't help Griezmann, who is also a point-grabbing and running center forward. Therefore, if he wants to become the absolute main force, he needs to be patient with his temperament. You can learn from his fellow countryman and Messi's good friend Sergio Aguero, who came to Atletico at the age of 18 with a transfer fee of 20 million euros that was the highest in the team's history.
At that time, Atletico Madrid's strikers had golden boy Torres and golden left-footed Fran, and as a younger brother, he naturally had to learn from his big brothers first, and he only scored 6 goals in his first season. With Torres leaving the following season, Aguero began to form a two-striker duo with Forlan, scoring 27 goals that season.
As Messi's younger brother, Alvarez's transfer fee is not the highest in the team's history, but it is not low. Aguero can really be a very good role model for him, Griezmann's contract with Atletico Madrid expires in 2026, and the two sides have not yet talked about renewing his contract, according to Marca, Griezmann has no intention of renewing his contract with Atletico Madrid. Then Griezmann will reach a contract year next summer, and he can negotiate a contract with the next family at any time, and it is very likely that Alvarez will become the new core in a season.
The arrival of Sergio Aguero brought Atletico back to the Champions League after 12 years, and also won the Europa League once. At that time, Atletico was not that strong, and it was good to be in the top four. Unlike Atletico Madrid in recent seasons, they have always been very good in terms of investment. So the arrival of Alvarez shows Atletico Madrid's ambition, that is, to compete for the La Liga championship and also want to compete for the Champions League.
Atletico Madrid said that Alvarez should join, believing that he can win the Golden Boot in La Liga. This is something that Aguero did not complete, and both Forlan and Aguero are from South America, and as Alvarez, who is also from South America, it naturally makes Atletico full of confidence in him. In his two seasons at Manchester City, his performances were also recognised. Won the treble with Manchester City and the World Cup and Copa America with Argentina.
But he can't always be the absolute main force, which is a pity, and it is also a point that makes people worry about his future.
At Manchester City, Erling Haaland has firmly occupied the first central striker position, and Pep Guardiola has also tried to use Alvarez past the midfielder to increase his chances of playing, but the effect has not been consistent. Coming to Argentina, there was no Haaland, but Lautaro came again. Looking at the performance of the Copa America, it is not for nothing that Lautaro is firmly in the main line.
So from Argentina to Manchester City to Atletico Madrid, if they can't be the main force, I don't know if Alvarez can maintain a calm mind. In Manchester City, they compete for the league title every season, and the Champions League is also the favorite to win the title, while Atletico Madrid faces the mighty Real Madrid next season, and it is unlikely that Atletico Madrid will compete for the title.
And in the Champions League, it is even stronger. It's still not easy for Atletico to sit back and enjoy it or add to it at Manchester City. Coming to Atletico Madrid will require Alvarez to be on the cusp and play a key role in key games to help the team win. Especially in La Liga's match against Real Madrid and Barcelona, if you can score goals or assists to help the team win, then Alvarez has a promising future.
There are of course opportunities and risks in front of him, because he has a prodigy who joined Atletico Madrid for 120 million euros in front of him, and he has high hopes but is disappointed, and this person is Felix. And if he wants to win the Golden Boot next season, the direct contender is Mbappe. At Manchester City he doesn't have those problems, that's something Haaland needs to think about.
When he comes to Atletico Madrid, he will appear more in the spotlight, and all kinds of comments and requirements will be added to him, mainly because the competitors he faces are too strong, but this person is still from Real Madrid, which is much more difficult than Haaland in the Premier League for the Golden Boot.
So joining Atletico Madrid is a very challenging new journey. In the first season, when there may not be an absolute main force, his desire to hit the Golden Boot is basically whimsical, and after Griezmann leaves, he may be able to start an era that truly belongs to him. Some players are only suitable to be substitutes, whether in Argentina or Manchester City are used to being substitutes, come to Atletico Madrid to become the main team one day, whether he can adapt depends on how manager Simeone helps him adjust.