Atletico Madrid felt painfully close to getting over the line against Barcelona and Real Madrid in all three competitions they competed in last season. Yet their hopes and dreams evaporated so swiftly that Los Rojiblancos still feel like they are recovering from the blow. The question facing Director of Football Carlos Bucero and Diego Simeone this summer is how they give this squad a nudge over the edge.

Last summer was an unusual one for Los Rojiblancos, spending close to €200m to bring in four players, the most expensive of which was Julian Alvarez. Their new franchise player, the successor to Antoine Griezmann in many senses, Alvarez was an unbridled success. The arrivals of Robin Le Normand, Conor Gallagher and Alexander Sorloth were more nuanced cases.

None of the three were automatic starters throughout the season, and the one who probably performed best, Sorloth, did so as the most effective substitute in Europe. If you were to attend a casino en vivo, Sorloth off the bench would be by Simeone’s side, his lucky charm. The Norwegian striker and Le Normand at the very least appear set for prominent roles again next season, but Simeone and Bucero have some decisions to make on some of their other more established names.

Primarily, Rodrigo de Paul. The Argentina international was undoubtedly one of their best players this season, and his contributions in midfield were not replicated by anyone else in the squad, nor does anyone look capable of doing so. At 31 years old though, de Paul will be giving his all to Argentina in the World Cup next season, and has just a year left on his deal. Atletico will have to make a decision on postponing a headache in how to replace him, making a smart financial call, or potentially handing him a new deal for the next few years, something the accountants would frown at.

Similarly, there is Jose Maria Gimenez. At 30 years of age, Gimenez has more minutes and injuries in his legs than most of his age, and few could make a call on how long he has left at the top level. He does have a deal until 2028, but Atletico are running out of time to cash in on him. When fit and fired up, he remains Atletico’s best defender. Simeone often finds that relying on that being the case is perhaps asking for trouble.

Finally, there is Antoine Griezmann. The top goalscorer in Atletico’s history, and until 2025, arguably their best player. But there is little doubt that Griezmann has not managed to come close to producing the quality he has in six months, nor has he been a tireless presence without the ball. Atletico have handed him a new deal, but Simeone will have to make a call on how committed he is to recovering the 34-year-old’s best form, and how that impacts their shape and plans alongside Julian Alvarez.