Ranking Atletico Madrid's 2014 Summer Signings on Last Season's Form
The 2014 summer transfer window was an extremely busy one for Atletico Madrid, who were forced into a rapid rebuilding effort following the departures of several key players.
Indeed, with Diego Costa, Thibaut Courtois and Filipe Luis all swapping Atletico for Chelsea, and with Adrian, David Villa and Diego also leaving the Spanish capital, Los Colchoneros had to sign a collection of replacements as the club looked to defend its incredible Primera Division title.
Consequently, in came Antoine Griezmann, Mario Mandzukic, Jan Oblak, Miguel Angel Moya, Jesus Gamez, Cristian Ansaldi, Raul Jimenez, Guilherme Siqueira, Emiliano Velazquez and Alessio Cerci.
It's fair to say the fortunes of that group were extremely mixed, and across the following slides we rank those 10 players on their form for Atletico Madrid last season.
10. Alessio Cerci
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It goes down as one of the most unsuccessful deals of last summer: Alessio Cerci's switch from Torino to Atletico Madrid for €16 million.
The idea, of course, was obvious: Cerci, a winger who can also play as a secondary striker, would provide manager Diego Simeone with an experienced back-up forward who could replace some of the goals lost with the departure of David Villa.
Instead, Cerci couldn't meet Simeone's demands for work rate, intensity and discipline, seeing the Italian sit on the bench and make just six substitute appearances in La Liga before being loaned out to AC Milan as part of the exchange deal to land Fernando Torres.
9. Raul Jimenez
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Like Alessio Cerci, Raul Jimenez was another forward who arrived at Atletico Madrid for a relatively large sum in the summer of 2014.
A powerful but raw striker, the Mexican's game requires a lot of polishing, and in his first season of European football he showed that there remains a number of large steps he must take in his development.
Indeed, the 24-year-old made just four league starts for Atletico in 2014-15, and rarely looked like displacing Mario Mandzukic as Diego Simeone's preferred centre-forward when he did get a chance. In 21 league appearances in total (17 as a substitute), Jimenez scored just once.
In 2015-16, a loan spell elsewhere looks a sensible option.
8. Cristian Ansaldi
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After joining Atletico Madrid on loan from Zenit St Petersburg last summer, Cristian Ansaldi made a positive start at the Vicente Calderon in 2014-15 and quickly became Diego Simeone's first-choice left-back.
Possessing speed, robust tackling and tactical awareness, the Argentinian usurped the expensive Guilherme Siqueira in Simeone's pecking order and looked set to become a regular for Los Colchoneros.
But injury derailed Ansaldi's season, with damage to the lateral collateral ligament of his left knee forcing him to sit on the sidelines from November onward.
7. Guilherme Siqueira
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Replacing Filipe Luis at left-back was always going to be problematic for Atletico Madrid, given how reliable the Brazilian had been at the Vicente Calderon.
As such, Atleti brought in two men to replace Luis, with Guilherme Siqueira joining Cristian Ansaldi in the Spanish capital.
At €10 million, it was the former who was expected to be the first choice from that pair, but Siqueira's season became a struggle from the moment Cristiano Ronaldo switched sides to target him in Atletico's first league clash with Real Madrid last September.
From that point, the Brazilian consistently looked shaky in defence barring one outstanding performance in the return match against Real, and was overlooked at first for Ansaldi and then often after that for Jesus Gamez.
6. Jesus Gamez
5 of 10
When right-back Jesus Gamez made the switch to Atletico Madrid from Malaga, he probably didn't envisage spending most of his time at left-back.
But that's what unfolded for the veteran Spaniard, who was turned to by Diego Simeone amid the injury and form concerns surrounding Cristian Ansaldi and Guilherme Siqueira, respectively.
On the first occasion Gamez featured on the left, it was a disastrous move by Simeone as Lionel Messi tore Atleti to shreds from his position on the right in Los Colchoneros' meeting with Barcelona in January. But thereafter, the former Malaga captain grew into the role steadily, making 12 league starts after barely playing in the opening half of the campaign.
Gamez also managed to give his team's set-piece excellence a different dynamic with his long throws.
5. Emiliano Velazquez
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Though he didn't spend his season at the Vicente Calderon, Emiliano Velazquez enjoyed a strong year on loan at Getafe after signing for Atletico Madrid last summer.
Yet another talented Uruguayan central defender (Atletico already have Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez), Velazquez made 27 starts in La Liga in 2014-15 and was one of Getafe's outstanding players in a difficult year for the Madrid-based club.
Indeed, Getafe had three different managers last season, but Velazquez (and lifeless crowds) was one of the few constants at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Might he line up with Atletico next season?
4. Jan Oblak
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It was uncanny how similar the goalkeeping situations were at both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona in the early stages of 2014-15.
At both clubs, a precocious young gloveman was signed (Jan Oblak at Atletico; Marc-Andre Ter Stegen at Barcelona) along with a less heralded and more experienced figure who would push him (Miguel Angel Moya and Claudio Bravo).
But like at Barcelona with Ter Stegen, injury struck down the talented Oblak in the early stages of the season, allowing Moya to cement his place. And for a long time Moya did, relegating Oblak to the bench almost permanently until March.
However, when the Spaniard suffered his own injury against Bayer Leverkusen, the young Slovenian had his chance, and didn't look back with a strong run of form in goal to the end of the season.
3. Miguel Angel Moya
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Costing just €3 million, Miguel Angel Moya was undoubtedly one of the best buys of the 2014 summer transfer window.
Though he hardly arrived with a big reputation, the Spaniard, with help from Jan Oblak's injury, quickly established himself as Diego Simeone's first-choice goalkeeper despite costing just a third of what Oblak did.
Calm and reliable, Moya helped Atletico Madrid deal with the departure of Thibaut Courtois as well as could have been expected, and would have almost certainly retained his place for the whole season if not for injury in March against Bayer Leverkusen.
2. Mario Mandzukic
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So, just the one season for Mario Mandzukic at Atletico Madrid then. But the Croatian can be pleased with what he achieved at the Vicente Calderon.
In all competitions, the former Bayern Munich striker scored 20 goals in Diego Simeone's new-look attack, and was crucial in the opening half of the campaign when Antoine Griezmann was struggling.
Of course, the 29-year-old's form tailed off considerably in the latter months of the season as he carried an ankle injury and fell out with Simeone. And it must be recognised that Mandzukic's presence forced Atleti to significantly change their method in 2014-15 after spending the previous year counter-attacking with Diego Costa.
But 20 goals is still a fine return, many of them crucial in helping Atletico secure third place and a guaranteed berth in next season's Champions League.
1. Antoine Griezmann
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There was only ever one possible candidate for No. 1: Antoine Griezmann.
After enduring a difficult start to life at the Vicente Calderon as he adapted to Diego Simeone's demanding methods, the Frenchman sparkled from December onward as he stormed to 25 goals in all competitions.
A lethal finisher and clever mover around the penalty area, the former Real Sociedad star formed a fine partnership with Mario Mandzukic before eventually leading the attack himself.
Additionally, under Simeone, Griezmann developed an intensity to his game in 2014-15, seeing him achieve massive improvements in his work-rate, pressing, tackling and work without the ball.
By season's end, he'd become the complete striker.
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