Rafael Santos Borre Will Be Atletico Madrid's Player to Watch in Pre-Season

Atletico Madrid's first team are back in training and gearing up for a pre-season campaign that sees them play six fixtures in all, including two in the International Champions Cup in Australia.

Diego Simeone has a big squad at his disposal as his usual starters make their way back from international duty, new signings are incorporated and returning players from loan deals last season bulk up the squad. 

Naturally, some of the returning loanees will be offloaded in the coming weeks, but pre-season represents a chance for all to get back into the manager's thoughts and stake a claim for a place in the side once competitive action gets under way.

One who's worth watching over the half-dozen friendly matches and who could win himself a spot in the side if he adapts to the demands of the team quickly is Colombian striker Rafael Santos Borre, more usually referred to as simply Santos Borre.

The youngster has joined up with Atleti this summer after being on loan at Deportivo Cali last season.

Time to impress

A 20-year-old striker, Atleti signed Santos Borre a year ago, but he stayed in his home nation to continue playing for a further year.

He couldn't have joined up with the senior squad in any case, as Jackson Martinez, Jose Maria Gimenez and Angel Correa had taken up the three allocated non-EU slots. But now that Martinez has departed and Gimenez has received his Spanish passport, Santos Borre has taken the final slot—with summer signing Nico Gaitan also taking one.

Jackson, of course, was the big disappointment of last season for Atletico; signed and sold for over €30 million in the space of six months, the Colombian failed to adapt to Simeone's tactics or provide goals for the team, leading to the eventual resurgence of Fernando Torres as the first-choice No. 9.

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While Antoine Griezmann remains Atleti's first starting forward, his roving tendencies mean the front line is best-served with another focal point—and this is where the opportunity is for Santos Borre to make the spot his own.

Luciano Vietto has not impressed either since signing from Villarreal a year ago, and while Angel Correa has been far better—explosive, impactful from the bench, but inconsistent—the latter Argentinian will miss part of pre-season as he has been selected in his national team's 2016 Olympics squad. Vietto, too, was originally named—but Atleti refused permission.

With no big-name striker yet brought into the club this summer, it means an opportunity for one of the younger strikers to impress Simeone with work rate, tactical suitability and, of course, goalscoring.

Borja Baston would have been another option after a stunning loan spell at Eibar last season, but the club website noted him suffering a fractured wrist in the first training session, which requires surgery.

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The door is wide open, then, for Santos Borre to impress and make the most of his opportunity.

Marca's Isaac Suarez reported Simeone gave the young striker some direct tips on his finishing during one training session. Ainhoa Sanchez of the Madrid-based newspaper also reported that the staff were impressed by his first days and were keeping a close eye on him ahead of a decision over whether to keep him in place or loan him out once more.

Traits

Santos Borre has played both as a striker and as a second forward for Cali, as well as from the left of the attack, and he netted six goals in his final four months with the club, totalling 14 appearances in that time. His side finished seventh in the Apertura stage of the Colombian Primera A.

A common theme in Santos Borre's movement prior to finding the back of the net is his anticipation of a ball and ability to get across the front of a defender, allowing him to run onto the ball and finish first-time, be it with his head or feet.

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He will frequently look to run behind or between centre-backs, especially on the diagonal to provide a through-pass opportunity from midfield, and he is powerful enough in the air to be a constant threat or potential link man—if, in context for Atletico, the likes of Gaitan or Griezmann are running off him from the sides of the attack.

Santos Borre's movement is critical as he's not a lightning-quick attacker, but early anticipation of a pass or exploiting space behind the defence can give him a big advantage regardless. This is especially true since he has shown a propensity for shooting with his first touch, catching goalkeepers unaware and not giving defenders a chance to recover position.

Santos Borre told Radio Caracol (h/t Mundo Deportivo, in Spanish) he had confidence in his ability to adapt to Atletico's style, saying he liked the work rate of the team, and he also underlined his own instincts to close spaces and get into scoring positions.

Position available

Before Atletico sign a new, big-money striker—and they will—is the time to impress for Santos Borre to ensure he remains involved next term, but once they bring in that new attacker, there's still a role for a young forward in the squad.

Whether Atleti play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 from the start of matches, the premise of the XI remains the same: two central midfielders, one midfielder who can play centrally or wide as the team pivots to change systems, one wide attacker and Antoine Griezmann, who plays as the second forward or the alternative wide option accordingly.

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That leaves the one true No. 9: a new signing to be the lead, Fernando Torres as the back-up and a youngster as a third, playing when rotation or injuries demand them to be involved. They would likely feature in the Copa del Rey and, as the likes of Thomas Partey and Lucas Hernandez showed last term, be able to be involved in La Liga if they take their chance.

Santos Borre has a big opportunity this summer with plenty of changes going on in the attacking areas, but he needs to show not only the tactical suitability, but also the aggression, stamina reserves and goalscoring instincts that Simeone demands.

The young talent signed at the same time as compatriot Jackson Martinez, but he will hope his stay at the club is far more long-term and meaningful than the now-Guangzhou Evergrande striker's was. For Atletico, Santos Borre's journey starts here.

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