Jackson Martinez and Luciano Vietto Signings Can Make Atletico Madrid a Force

Diego Forlan. Sergio Aguero. Radamel Falcao. Diego Costa. Jackson Martinez. 

The lineage continues.

On Tuesday, Martinez's agent, Luiz Henrique Pompeo, confirmed that his client would be swapping Porto's Estadio do Dragao for the Vicente Calderon, as reported by Manu De Juan for AS. The Colombian will be the latest in a long line of South American-born strikers to lead Atletico Madrid since Fernando Torres' departure in 2007. 

Pompeo described Martinez's €35 million move to the Spanish capital as a "dream," citing manager Diego Simeone's "winning mentality" as a persuasive factor. But if it's a dream for Martinez, it's ecstasy for Atletico Madrid. 

Suddenly, Los Colchoneros have their preferred identity back, the one Simeone described when he was appointed as manager in December 2011: "I like an aggressive team," the Argentinian said at his unveiling almost four years ago. "I want to see a team that is strong, committed and quick on the break. These are things which Atletico fans have always liked, it helps them identify with and love this shirt."

That approach has always been founded upon the presence of ferocious, hard-running strikers. The last such player in that mould was Costa, the fiery, Brazilian-born, one-man counterattacking wrecking ball who propelled Simeone's team to its greatest triumph: the 2013-14 Primera Division title. 

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But the financial realities of Atleti's middle-of-the-pack standing in European football put a halt to that last summer. Costa—along with Thibaut Courtois and Filipe Luis—departed to west London, and Atleti were left to scramble in the transfer market for a replacement.

The man they got, Mario Mandzukic, was a fine centre-forward, but not a great fit. Not an Atletico centre-forward. 

The Croatian is an outstanding example of a target man: He is strong, powerful in the air, excellent with his back to goal, crafty in the box and a decent finisher with both feet.

However, Mandzukic didn't have the running power for Atletico, and his lack of speed and mobility forced Simeone and Atleti to deviate from their preferred identity. In 2014-15, Los Colchoneros pushed higher, pressed more, passed more and moved more patiently, caught in an uneasy middle ground somewhere between what they wanted to do and what they had to do to supply their striker. 

Mandzukic scored 20 goals in all competitions—a fine return—but Atleti as a team scored less, conceded more and won fewer points. It wasn't them; in an interview reported by Veronica Brunati of AS, Simeone later admitted that Mandzukic "annoys me easily, that's the reality." 

But Martinez changes all that. 

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The Colombia international isn't a project for Atletico—not bought with a long-term view like Antoine Griezmann was. At 28, he's in his prime years, standing as a fully developed and established forward who won't be moulded or changed. But there's the point: Atleti don't need him to change. 

Martinez has what Simeone wants in his leading striker: pace, power, strength, size and lethal finishing. He can counter-attack; he can break lines; he specialises in getting away from his man inside the box; he can ride challenges; he's strong on both feet. Martinez is a very Atletico striker. And he's a man arriving at the Vicente Calderon having scored 92 goals in 132 appearances at Porto.

He's not the only one arriving, though; Atletico are welcoming another exciting forward ahead of 2015-16. 

On Monday, a day before the capture of Martinez, Luciano Vietto's switch from Villarreal to Atletico Madrid was confirmed. The Argentinian, who's worked under Simeone before at Racing Club, is very much in the Griezmann mould: a pacey, slight-bodied forward comfortable playing out wide or through the middle.

A smart finisher with both feet, Vietto scored 18 goals for El Submarino Amarillo last season, and Simeone sees him as a versatile threat: "He's a fine player not dissimilar to David Villa and can play behind a front man and ahead of the midfield. He very tactically aware," the Atleti manager said. 

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It means Atletico could field an attacking trio of Martinez, Vietto and Griezmann. It would work in a 4-3-3 and a 4-2-3-1. All three could also fit into Simeone's more characteristic 4-4-2, with two up front and one out wide, giving Los Colchoneros the sort of winger they've lacked. 

All three have speed. Dynamism. A cutting edge. Atletico can once more be lethal on the break, able to sit back and reinforce their own defensive strength while preying on the weaknesses their approach will bring out in others. It's a two-way gain. What's more, that trio will benefit from the evolution Simeone is planning for his midfield. 

"The team needs a change, a new stimulus," the manager told AS, per Football Espana. "The way I see it, for example, is for Koke to go in the double pivot. That is going to start generating a team from another idea." Simeone added that his team is "more ready to play in space" and "to move quickly from defence to attack."

Essentially, the attritional and combative nature of the team's midfield, led by veterans such as Gabi, Tiago and Mario Suarez, will be conditioned into a more creative, dynamic unit. Koke will lead the shift. So, too, will Saul Niguez. Maybe even Oliver Torres. You can picture the method: stay compact, get the ball to the midfielders with vision and release the forwards. It's shaping up to be a little a la Chelsea. 

It's what Atletico Madrid need. It's what Atletico Madrid want. 

Ahead of 2015-16, they're shaping up as a force.