Breaking Down What Sime Vrsaljko Will Bring to Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid's summer recruitment drive is well under way already, and Sime Vrsaljko looks set to be the next confirmed addition to the squad ahead of the 2016-17 season.
The Croatian defender has passed his medical with Los Rojiblancos, per Marca, and will complete his transfer from Sassuolo to the UEFA Champions League runners-up in the coming days, according to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t AS's Mirko Calemme).
It's well known that Atletico Madrid's strongest area of the team is the defence, having La Liga's best record in terms of goals conceded last season and with manager Diego Simeone usually fielding a very consistent back line, so Vrsaljko will have his work cut out to win a regular spot in the team.
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He has traits Atletico will benefit from, though, and could prove a masterstroke of a signing at around €16 million, especially when looking further ahead than simply next season.
Versatility
Positionally, Vrsaljko will initially compete with Juanfran for a role at right-back, but he has shown over the past couple of seasons he can play elsewhere.
On the international stage this summer, his two appearances at UEFA Euro 2016 both came at left-back, with his only start seeing him come up against soon-to-be team-mate Juanfran in the clash with Spain.
Croatia won that match 2-1, but Vrsaljko didn't feature in the round of 16 as Croatia exited to Portugal.
Additionally, Vrsaljko can operate further forward in midfield. Used on the right side, his crossing ability comes to the fore with more regularity; he's not the trickiest player in one-on-one situations, but good technique and composure on the ball mean Vrsaljko is good at linking play in the channel and can deliver from wide with accuracy.
Covering multiple positions isn't exactly a must-have trait, considering the depth of Atleti's squad and the number of midfielders who can play central or wide, but it's a good option for Vrsaljko himself to increase the game time he might get.
At times in close matches previously, Simeone has opted to play Jesus Gamez at right midfield ahead of Juanfran in defence; Vrsaljko is a step or two up from Gamez in quality on the ball, so an immediate upgrade in the squad is apparent, wherever the Croatian plays.
Movement and intent
Vrsaljko is a forward-thinking player, often looking to leave space ahead of himself when his team are in possession so that he can receive the ball and quickly surge into the gap. He has good acceleration, although he is not lightning quick, but his intelligence in movement is of greater importance to his game.
A second or two in possession high upfield and Vrsaljko can deliver a cross from deep, play a pass in behind the opposition defence or dribble forward toward the penalty box. He's unafraid of committing defenders and can go inside on his weaker left foot without concern, leaving space on the overlap for a midfielder or attacker to exploit.
Using Juanfran as the template for Atletico's full-back master, the Spaniard often surges to the byline and either clips a short-range cross toward the near post or tries to pass into the penalty box along the floor, rather than continually lofting crosses. Vrsaljko is just as adept at taking up dangerous positions in the final third, and his delivery is arguably better.
Another interesting point of comparison is their willingness to attack the far post: Juanfran doesn't get much recognition for it, being seen as a "defensive" full-back, but he will often look to break late into the box and get on the end of missed crosses or deflections. Vrsaljko will only add to that unexpected threat, and his shooting is certainly more composed than Juanfran's can be at times.
Defence first
Above all else, though, Simeone does not want to upset the balance of the team by having an all-out attacking full-back who will be caught out positionally, both on the counter and in general open play where Atleti are happy to stay in shape and repel danger.
Vrsaljko is strong in the challenge, is a tall presence who can add an aerial competency to his list of attributes and is calm under pressure on the ball. He won't let Atletico down with unnecessary runs out of the defensive line, has good recovery pace for when he is beaten and should look a reasonably natural fit in the back line on both sides.
Perhaps naturally, his defensive characteristics come to the fore more readily when playing on the left side, where Vrsaljko has a tendency to sit a little tighter to the central defenders and close the gaps through the middle rather than defending the wing.
Competition
It's worth bearing in mind that both Juanfran and Filipe Luis will both be 31 years of age heading into the new season. Diego Godin, in the centre, is also 30, so while they're not exactly pushing retirement age, this marvellous defence Atletico have relied on is certainly in need of some younger blood to extend its overall shelf life—if the new arrivals prove as capable and consistent as those already in place.
Having both played over 4,000 minutes last season and both been in action over the summer with their respective international sides—albeit for rather shorter periods of time than they might have expected—both Juanfran and Luis will likely need intermittent breaks over the course of 16-17.
Where Gamez had previously been the logical choice to step in, his inability to up his game further while Atletico chased multiple titles saw him trusted less frequently by Simeone last term, playing only around 1,200 minutes.
Vrsaljko's arrival will lower that even further, if not completely push Gamez out of the squad, and the Croatian will likely mirror the arrival last summer of Stefan Savic: rotated in for the odd league game, playing plenty of cup fixtures and totalling a reasonable amount of minutes for his first campaign.
Simeone won't put Vrsaljko (or anyone else) into the team for the sake of it, but as Saul Niguez and Lucas Hernandez showed last term, if the 24-year-old can perform well when given the chance, the reward will be more regular action.
If the two regular full-backs miss time due to injury or absence, Atletico will now have a third option equally capable of ensuring the level of the team stays as high as ever.
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