Atletico Madrid Should Loan Out, but Not Lose Faith In, Oliver Torres and Vietto

Atletico Madrid will likely invest heavily in their first team once again this summer, looking to add a couple of quality players in key areas to a side that has pushed for both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this season.

Boss Diego Simeone has had to contend with big-name departures most summers since taking charge in 2011, rebuilding the team each time to go on and challenge again, but the suspicion is that Atletico could keep the vast majority of players in place this offseason.

If the first-choice players don't leave, then inevitably some of the fringe players might. But in the case of Oliver Torres and Luciano Vietto—both on bench and struggling for game time in 2016—Los Rojiblancos would do well to consider only loaning them this summer rather than outright selling them in the hope they made good on their enormous potential in seasons to come.

Early to Late

At the beginning of the campaign, both Oliver and Vietto were involved heavily in Simeone's regular XI. Oliver was the starting right-sided midfielder once competitive action got underway, and Vietto rotated into the attack alongside or instead of the misfiring Jackson Martinez.

Oliver played in each of the first seven games of the season in La Liga and 12 of the first 14, but his game time dipped sharply thereafter. Left out of the squad at times, and with Saul Niguez and Yannick Carrasco having deservedly won wide spots in midfield, Borussia Dortmund were linked with a move for Atletico's No. 10 by Matthias Dersch of Ruhr Nachrichten (via Bleacher Report's Lars Pollmann). He stayed and has seen a little more time on the pitch since February.

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It is telling, though, that of his 800 or so minutes in La Liga this campaign, only 183 have come in 2016. As the season has gone on and Atletico fought for the title, Oliver was not one Simeone regularly turned to and trusted.

The same became true for Vietto. With Jackson bombed out in the winter transfer window, a regular spot in the front two opened up for someone to take advantage of, but the Argentinian forward has not been the one to do so. While Fernando Torres rediscovered a scoring touch and Angel Correa's combative approach impressed many, Vietto has managed to show neither.

He's a good link forward and uses space well to combine in the box, but his goal threat has been nonexistent.

With only one goal all season in La Liga and three in all competitions, Vietto hasn't found the net in any competition in 15 matches during 2016. An unused substitute in every Champions League game since the round-of-16 second leg against PSV Eindhoven in March, Simeone no longer turns to him to help tip games in Atletico's favour.

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Last summer, we looked at what Vietto might bring to Atletico's team and how often he might feature; the prediction of 2,000 minutes across all competitions reflected that he was nowhere near the finished article. Disappointingly, he has even fallen short of that modest target, not yet hitting 1,500 minutes.

Development

It will take a turnaround in confidence for both players to rediscover their best form, and the one key ingredient both require is patience.

They have shown their ability in flashes, but playing for Atletico—or indeed any club challenging for major honours—requires consistency and work rate. If Oliver thinks he'll swan into BVB's team next season without the tangible end product to his game Simeone wanted, he needs only look at Adnan Januzaj. The Belgian joined Dortmund on loan for the season, but manager Thomas Tuchel sent him packing in January when he didn't get enough from him.

Oliver is 21. Vietto is 22. Both have plenty of time and scope left to develop their games, and Simeone's record with young players is immense. There can be no doubt he could improve them and that their careers would be well served by remaining part of Atletico's squad. At the same time, it's vital they receive game time.

For that reason, 2016-17 might be best served looking away on a temporary basis.

Next Season

Oliver flourished at FC Porto last term, on loan and regularly playing in a No. 10 role.

Atletico don't have that spot in their systems, so the young Spaniard needs to find a way to produce his best form while operating from the sides or as a second forward. Another year at a loan club isn't going to be detrimental to him in the slightest, especially if he picks up 3,000 minutes or so on the pitch. But if his ambition is to make it at Atletico, finding a side that utilises similar roles to effectively practice in might be the best bet.

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Villarreal is a possibility, especially if they lose Denis Suarez in the summer. Outside of La Liga, there are myriad options.

Vietto, on the other hand, clearly plays better as part of a two-man front line, which narrows the choices—but there is no doubt he needs to look elsewhere. Atletico will buy a new striker to replace Martinez in summer, one who will get lots of time on the pitch. And with Fernando Torres back in form, Antoine Griezmann still the star of the show and plenty of attacking-midfield options, Vietto's chances of playing look slim. There's also the possibility Borja Baston returns.

A year with regular game time and showing he can perform as a regular starter in La Liga, creating and scoring goals, would see his confidence return and could give him another shot at making the grade at the Vicente Calderon.

While Raul Jimenez and Leo Baptistao have failed to push on and become part of Simeone's plans in attack after loans, Vietto is younger and better than both and needs to find a team that lets him show it.

Both Vietto and Oliver still have enormous futures in the game, and it would be remiss of Atleti to give up on them too soon—and even more of a mistake by the players themselves to pass up the opportunity of making it at one of the clubs throughout Europe best suited to sustain trophy challenges over the coming seasons.

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