Strengths and Weaknesses of Atletico Madrid Transfer Target Santi Cazorla
Atletico Madrid are reportedly targeting Arsenal midfield maestro Santi Cazorla in this summer's transfer window, as the club looks for options to replace Arda Turan, whose departure seems inevitable.
According to the Times (h/t Marca), Atletico view the Spain international as the ideal replacement for the Turk, who has been instrumental as Diego Simeone's chief playmaker at the Vicente Calderon.
Cazorla, 30, has two years still to run on his current contract at Arsenal, and he would be difficult to prise away from the Emirates Stadium following an outstanding season in 2014-15 when repositioned alongside Francis Coquelin at the base of Arsene Wenger's midfield.
But could the chance to join one of La Liga's heavy-hitters in his native Spain be an enticing prospect for Cazorla? And if so, what precisely would he bring to Atletico Madrid?
Across the following slides, we take a look at his strengths and weaknesses.
Strength: Close Control and Evasive Skills
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Undoubtedly Santi Cazorla's greatest strength is his mesmeric skill in tight corners.
So often, the Arsenal star wriggles out of congestion with little skips, sidesteps and rapid switches of the ball from one foot to the other, causing everyone to ask the same question over and over: How did he get out of that?
You can check out this for an example.
With his outstanding technical quality, the Spaniard would be a perfect fit in La Liga, and at the Vicente Calderon he'd add some flair and deft touches to a largely forceful and direct Atletico Madrid outfit.
Weakness: Running Power
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Though Santi Cazorla's ability in tight corners is remarkable, he's not so effective in wide-open spaces.
Short on running power, the Spaniard can be blown past by fleet-footed opponents and requires the protection of faster, stronger bodies around him in midfield.
The 30-year-old's lack of pace has also been an issue for Arsenal when Arsene Wenger has used the diminutive technician out wide. Unable to relentlessly cover the length of a flank, Cazorla has at times stripped the width from the Gunners' attack when played as a makeshift winger.
In that position, he's also been vulnerable to explosive full-backs and targeted as a defensive weakness.
Strength: Passing and Vision
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Santi Cazorla's numbers since arriving at Arsenal in 2012 speak for themselves.
In three seasons in England, the former Malaga and Villarreal star has tallied 37 assists in all competitions, per ESPN FC, with his sublime passing, vision and creativity key factors in Arsenal's flowing attack.
In 2014-15, the Spain international also showcased how diverse his passing skills are, as Arsene Wenger repositioned him at the base of the team's midfield as a deep-lying playmaker.
In that role, Cazorla added searching diagonal balls and fast distribution to the flanks to his already impressive in-close passing, with his ability to pick out runners such as Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain particularly impressive.
Weakness: Tackling and Ball-Winning
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When you stand at just five feet and six inches, and lack power and strength, you're never going to be a fearsome tackler. And that's the case for Santi Cazorla.
Indeed, though the 30-year-old is committed to getting back and helping his defence, he's not the sort of guy who can break play up in the middle with ferocious tackling and ball-winning skills.
According to WhoScored.com, Cazorla made just 1.6 tackles per game in 2014-15, and only Aaron Ramsey was dribbled past more often than the Spaniard among Arsenal players.
In total, Cazorla attempted 113 tackles in the Premier League and was successful with just 59 of them—a success rate considerably lower than that of his midfield partner Francis Coquelin, who was successful with 71 of 98 in 15 fewer appearances.
Strength: Set Piece Skills
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Atletico Madrid aren't short on dead-ball specialists. Already at the Vicente Calderon are Koke and Gabi, two players who play a key role in Atleti's renowned set piece excellence.
The effectiveness of both of those men is based on the speed with which they deliver the ball into the penalty area, with Koke in particular capable delivering balls with vicious swerve and dip.
Cazorla, however, is a set piece artist of a different kind. Though he doesn't possess immense power, the Spaniard has a delightful knack for dropping balls just over the defensive line and onto the head of a team-mate running toward goal, with his delivery for Olivier Giroud against Manchester City standing as a prime example.
Cazorla is also an excellent penalty taker, and from time to time he can deliver a long-range strike because of his ability to find the corners of the net.
Weakness: Physical Strength
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Given his short stature, it's hardly surprising that Santi Cazorla lacks the strength to fight and scrap with bigger opponents.
Naturally, some of the Premier League's more physical outfits have often looked to rough Cazorla up, pushing him to ground and clattering into him to disrupt his flow and effectiveness.
Though he does possess a low centre of gravity, he's hardly the strong and forceful fighter his similar-sized team-mate Alexis Sanchez is.
Of course, in the more technical La Liga, such a deficiency would be less of an issue, and the robust nature of Atletico Madrid would mean his physicality—or lack thereof—wouldn't be exposed.
Strength: Durability
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If you look back through many of Santi Cazorla's recent seasons, one thing that strikes you is how durable the midfielder has been.
In 2014-15, Cazorla missed just one Premier League game for Arsenal and started 33 of the team's 38 matches. The season before he started he started 30, and the one before that he started 37.
And it was the same before he arrived in England: At Malaga he started every game of the 2011-12 season in La Liga, and he started 34 the season prior at Villarreal.
Rarely injured and a tireless worker, Cazorla has proved himself to be extremely durable.
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