New Tiago and Saul Contracts Mean Atletico Madrid Can Build Instead of Rebuild

We constantly reinvent ourselves, year after year, said Atletico Madrid captain Gabi at the start of the present campaign, per Marca.

His statement was part pride that the team continued to challenge, and part acknowledgement that Atleti were frequently having to sell their biggest stars to other teams, perceived bigger sides with greater chances of success.

But just maybe, this summer, that finally stops.

Veteran midfielder Tiago has penned a one-year extension with the club, having successfully returned from injury, and key starter Saul Niguez has also finally signed his new contract—a stay until 2021 for one of La Liga’s best midfielders this season.

Saul was one of the players Atleti had to put most effort into keeping hold of this year and by doing so, ensure that this summer they can simply add to what they already have in place rather than worrying about first replacing stars, then finding new ones.

Midfield: Perfectly aligned?

Atletico’s midfield is, all things considered, about as good as it can be.

They have a blend of characteristics on a technical level: Gabi and Augusto Fernandez are defensive shields, Koke a workhorse with great creativity, Tiago has plenty of both and Saul has a lot of both.

There is positional versatility there with the homegrown duo—Gabi and Koke—and there are younger talents attempting to emerge into the first-team scene, with Thomas Partey and Matias Kranevitter.

Whether playing with a four across the middle and incorporating a more offensive threat such as Yannick Carrasco, or switching to a three and bulking up the line ahead of the …

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