Atletico Madrid's Swift Summer Business Could Help Close Gap on Barca, Real

Some will call it a flurry of activity. Others will describe it as swift business. Whatever it's been, it should prove beneficial for Atletico Madrid. 

Jackson Martinez. Signed. Luciano Vietto. Signed. Mario Mandzukic. Sold. Miranda. Sold. Arda Turan. Sold. Following the sale of the latter to Barcelona for £24 million, per BBC Sport, Atleti have made major and necessary summer adjustments at a negligible net spend. More notable, though, is that the club has done so by the first week of July. It's significant. 

In 2014-15 across Europe, there were some neat examples of how the timing of a club's transfer dealings can impact upon a season.

In England, Chelsea's Stamford Bridge witnessed a vast array of arrivals and exits last summer, but a consistent theme to the Blues' deals were how swiftly they were reached. Cesc Fabregas was signed in June, while Diego Costa and Filipe Luis followed in mid-July. Simultaneously, the sales of David Luiz, Romelu Lukaku and Demba Ba were all completed in the same rapid manner. Chelsea, of course, went on to cruise to their first Premier League title since 2009-10, with their speedy deals of last summer widely praised as a contributing factor.

In contrast, Real Madrid in Spain saw how last-minute transfers can destabilise a club in the early weeks of the season. After the campaign had already begun, Los Blancos watched Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso depart in the final days of August, stripping Carlo Ancelotti of the two players who had underpinned his system in the previous season. The result: consecutive defeats to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid—the loss of six points that ultimately proved decisive in Real's second-placed finish behind Barcelona in La Liga.

Evidently, there are lessons to be learned there. And Atletico Madrid appear to have heeded them. 

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According to Marca, Vietto will report for duty at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday, while Jackson will arrive by July 19. The importance of the timing can't be underestimated. 

This summer, Atletico have pre-season games on July 25 and 28 against Numancia and Real Oviedo, respectively, before travelling to Japan and China for friendlies on August 1 and 4. That's four games for Atleti to develop cohesion with two new forwards who will redefine the essence of Diego Simeone's system—four low-key outings to get a handle on where Martinez and Vietto like the ball. How they interact with team-mates. What channels they run. Where they're most dangerous.

And those four games will be on top of training time.

Additionally, the quick resolution of the Turan saga—something we emphasised the importance of here—gives Atleti the ability to do two things: Scour the market for a ready-made replacement and evaluate the possibility of Oliver Torres or Angel Correa filling the Turk's role. 

Thus, before the season arrives the squad residing at the Vicente Calderon should be settled, the mood calm. But can that help Atleti close the gap on Barcelona and Real Madrid? Perhaps. 

When Atleti's 2014-15 season was approaching its end in May, Simeone made an interesting remark. "We have to prepare as a team for when Real Madrid and Barcelona are not so attentive," he told Onda Cero, per Reuters. "Last year, they were not so focused and we were able to get in the mix but Valencia and Sevilla are also aware of this and that strengthens the league.

"To become champions again we have to work to finish second, third and when they [Real and Barca] get distracted win the title again."

It would be a stretch to say Spain's big two will be "distracted" next season, but there are definitely some factors Atleti will look to capitalise on in 2015-16.

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Across town at the Bernabeu, Real Madrid are set to endure the difficulties inherent in transitional periods, having sacked Ancelotti and appointed Rafa Benitez. Under the former Napoli boss, Los Blancos are expected to see a change in shape and system, while an array of issues ranging from the defining of the roles of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, to the captaincy and the possible departures of Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas, need to be resolved. Clearly, Atleti will enter the new season dealing with considerably less upheaval. 

Across the country in Catalonia, meanwhile, Barcelona are in the midst of presidential elections and will begin next season battling an age-old question: Where do you go once you've scaled the mountain? Signing Turan is a clear attempt to avoid a letdown following the capture of a treble, and as explained here at Bleacher Report, "the Atleti midfielder's arrival would be another injection of energy, ferocity and quality, providing a sense of renewal in the aftermath of triumph—essentially, another shot in the arm." But Barcelona won't get that shot until January, once their FIFA-imposed ban finishes, meaning the surge of energy and desire provided by Turan and Aleix Vidal will be delayed in its onset. 

As such, a soon-to-be-settled Atleti are looking at two rivals in circumstances that could possibly affect the early stages of their respective campaigns. 

Might it be decisive in the title race? Who knows, but it should certainly help Atletico Madrid close the gap at the summit of the league table.