COLUMN: To take the next step on the pitch, Atletico Madrid must avoid same old mistakes off it

No, it’s not good enough. It never was, and it never will be. And yet, despite everything, things haven’t changed a bit. Atletico Madrid are in an awkward situation, even by their own standards. Nobody can claim they should be considered on even footing with Real Madrid and Barcelona for the title challenge. Too much difference in money spent, wages and tradition to demand that from Diego Pablo Simeone’s men. Still, they should be putting up a fight. Every single season, at least until it dries out in the spring. And more so after spending so much money in the past two transfer markets. With new investment,  the time has come to look for a step up, but the Colchoneros have mentally locked themselves in a permanent state of unrest. 

It seems impossible, that after so many summers investing heavily and rebooting the project, Atletico Madrid centre-backs are still Robin Le Normand – a walking chaos – and Jose Gimenez, the most injury-prone Uruguayan the world has ever seen. It does not make any sense that Nahuel Molina is still part of a squad that fights both for the league and the Champions League, and that Jan Oblak needs to perform miracles week after week just to clean up the mess his defence often leaves him

Simeone’s first stint was crowned with an Europa League, a Copa del Rey and La Liga title, and featured two Champions League finals. Of course, the likes of Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa, and Antoine Griezmann had all the credit, but Simeone’s defence was the main strength. In the likes of Diego Godin and Miranda, he had a brilliant centre-back duo. Juanfran on the right, and particularly Filipe Luis on the left, were some of the best in the world. Solid and reliable, they allowed the team to go forward without fear of being exposed.

Ten years later, the Argentine manager has been completely unable to reboot that defensive line. He tried a back-four, a back-three and a back-five, and none have worked. Atletico have spent money, lots of it, but have never come close to finding the next Godin, the next Miranda or the next Filipe. Atletico’s defence is getting worse with each passing season, and the club keeps making the same sort of mistakes in the transfer market that postpone the much-needed change, particularly as Oblak, brilliant as he is, is not getting any younger.

Yet, even if that was Atletico’s only issue, it would be fixable, but in 2026, Koke remains the most reliable midfielder in Atletico’s squad. The same Koke who had to fight for a place in the starting XI with the likes of Gabri, Tiago or even Saul Niguez when he first came into the side. Pablo Barrios is a brilliant prospect of a top-class player, but he’s still not quite there yet, and there’s simply no plan B on the most important position on the pitch, for a side that needs to find balance between their defensive frailties and their attacking limitations.

Yes, Julian Alvarez might have been the sort of striker one would expect from a club that poached the likes of Diego Forlan, Sergio Aguero or Falcao, but much more was expected of Alexander Sorloth. Despite all the effort and attitude from Giuliano Simeone, Atleti still lack clarity in front of goal. So much so that an almost retired Antoine Griezmann is still needed to come to the rescue from time to time. Sure, Simeone invested essentially in searching for the attacking midfield trio he wanted to support Alvarez, and despite all the promise, neither Thiago Almada nor Alex Baena have been up to standard, be it due to injury or lack of trust. What Atletico Madrid are today, in January 2026, is still an enigma rooted in a series of past mistakes. 

BREAKING: Pablo Barrios is MOST likely OUT for the Spanish Super Cup semifinal against Real Madrid. It is almost IMPOSSIBLE for him to participate following today's tests.

He will still travel with the team in case of a possible final, which he has slim chances for.@marca pic.twitter.com/lyoELigcCE

— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) January 5, 2026

In the past summer, Atletico spent a small fortune. Most of the signings are yet to prove their worth; €22m on Giacomo Raspadori makes no sense, nor does €17m on Matteo Ruggeri, who has underperformed in the first half the season. Between Johnny Cardoso and David Hancko, who barely have a decent match to their names, the club spent more than €50m. In Marc Pubill and Thiago Almada, there are prospects for the future, but they were worth, combined, a total of €40m. Give or take, it’s €120m on six players who have given little to the project so far, not to mention the signing of Baena, who should by now have been the boss of the side.

The previous season was no different. Alvarez is a brilliant player, out of form, but the €75m spent on him places expectation much higher. The same summer, Conor Gallagher cost an astounding €42m that nobody can quite explain (unless looking at the exit of Joao Felix, another topic), the same way that Le Normand and Sorloth combined cost a further €70m. The total is at more than €330m in two summer markets, a record for Atletico.

They have sold, as well, to keep the books balanced, but what this means is that, save for a player or two, the investment hasn’t paid off. Not only that, it has not solved the club’s issues from before the 2024 transfer market. A porous, feeble defensive line, without reliable players at each position. A midfield that lacks both creativity and a commanding presence. Wingers who can assist and score goals freely, and a player who can be the creative hub, the same way Griezmann once was. If Baena eventually steps into the Frenchman’s shoes to povide for Alvarez, Atletico would have gained something back from their €140m spent on both, but they are still miles away from the heights of Costa-Falcao, or Arda Turan-Griezmann, who arrived for far less money.

And that’s the issue. There are – and the market is there to prove it – much better players available than the ones signed for the club. At a lesser cost. That comes with several questions. Is Simeone the main man behind the signings? If so, how does he always manage to get it so wrong? Does Mateu Alemany’s arrival mean the club will move to a different echelon of signings in the near future, and can he overhaul the errors committed thus far?

How will the club offload such disastrous signings like Le Normand or Raspadori without compromising the money available for future signings? Simeone has often been called out for being a manager who demands that any signings pass several trust tests before receiving regular football. Some players survive this sort of leap of faith; some don’t. As is the case with other managers who share philosophical traits with him, for Simeone, it’s becoming harder to find soldiers who are ready to die for him.

It’s a situation not too dissimilar to what has happened with Jose Mourinho over the past few years. Managers who won the dressing room with football principles, yes, but also with a never-say-die attitude that was instilled in the players’ souls. But, for that, players need to be built differently, mentality-wise, and the newer generations are not as much interested in that discourse as the previous ones. They want to enjoy themselves, play spectacular football and go home to their lives. They have become office clerks in a way, not soldiers. And expensive ones too.

The best left-back Atleti have had since Filipe left remains Yannick Carrasco, who wasn’t even a left-back https://t.co/I1IPwhwLdZ

— Jeremy Beren (@JBBeren) January 5, 2026

What is clear is that Atletico Madrid have spent enough money to, come April, still be in the title race, as well as competing in the Champions League quarter-finals. Today, they seem far from both. It’s not that they play badly – in fact, for some weeks they were the side who played best in La Liga – but they keep making the same mistakes on the pitch, mistakes that usually come from the same errors off it, particularly in the transfer market.

Why pay so much money for Raspadori when Alberto Moleiro was available at Las Palmas? Why spend a small fortune on the likes of Hancko and Le Normand, when they can’t claim to be better than any other lower table defensive partnership? Why are Koke and Barrios the only midfielders available, in the league with the best midfielders in the world? Those questions need answers and, even though Simeone knows he is untouchable at the club and among fans, if Atletico ever wants to become a serious title contender – even if a step behind Barcelona and Real Madrid – there are issues that they can’t afford to ignore much longer. There is plenty of hope around the Metropolitano for the coming seasons, with the revamped surrounds of the stadium, and the new investors coming in, but they need to get it right on the pitch as well. And they simply haven’t.

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