Why Koke Is the 1 Atletico Madrid Player Barcelona Would Love to Sign

If you compare players from Barcelona and Atletico Madrid one-to-one, the Catalan side would win in almost every position on the pitch. 

But football is not a game about individuals, and the spirit and unity Atletico possess, not to mention their superb manager, Diego Simeone, is the reason they can match up to La Liga's strongest.

They showed it in 2013-14, when they won the league, and although they weren't able to repeat the trick last year, they gave rough rides to Barcelona and Real Madrid.

There are three Atletico players who would make it into a current Barcelona starting line-up; Diego Godin, Juanfran and Jorge Resurreccion Merodio, known as Koke.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

The former two players are 29 and 30 respectively and are unrealistic transfer targets for Barcelona.

But the third is the one player Barcelona would welcome into their squad with open arms.

At just 23, he has been an integral part of the success of Atletico Madrid, and he has the skill set to be a key player for Barcelona.

Not only is he technically and tactically excellent, he is also an extremely hard worker, and that is something the Catalans need in the new "MSN" era.

With Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar running riot up top, the midfield must graft.

That is why Ivan Rakitic has fitted in so well in the stead of Xavi Hernandez.

Manu Fernandez/Associated Press

Nobody could replace the Spanish maestro, so Rakitic didn't even bother trying. Instead, he brings something totally different to Barcelona, which suits their new playing system.

It's not a question of Rakitic needing to be replaced, as he has done a very good job, but just that Koke is already his equal and has a higher potential.

He has been heavily linked with Barcelona in the past, as recently as this summer.

According to Sport, Josep Maria Bartomeu met Miguel Angel Gil Marin in June to discuss the signing of the midfielder.

The same source has previously explained that Luis Enrique values the player and believes he could bring a lot to Barcelona, as reported by Tomas Andreu:

"

Koke would be the perfect type of footballer to play in the style that Enrique wants to utilise at Barcelona. The 23-year-old has reached a tentative but important level of maturity. The Atletico Madrid star is noted for his physical abilities, excellent vision of play, and strong technical skills, which he continues to hone. These three characteristics are what Enrique wants in the centre of the pitch.

"

When you watch an Atletico Madrid game, you rarely pick Koke as the stand-out player. He is not flashy. The likes of Antoine Griezmann and Jackson Martinez will be expected to provide the excitement.

And that is fine, because Koke does his job in the engine room, keeping everything moving and helping Atletico press high up the pitch.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/Associated Press

He is also versatile, able to play on either flank or in the centre of the pitch.

Barcelona don't need any more excitement—they have enough of that in their star-studded line of attack, with Arda Turan still to be added.

If Luis Enrique and technical director Robert Fernandez could hand-pluck a single player from Atletico's side right now, thinking also of the years ahead, there is little doubt it would be Koke.