Sometimes out of necessity, as has happened with Moussa Dembélé after Diego Costa's express farewell.
Others, as in the case of Morata (2019), today on loan to Juventus, because there are opportunities that should not be missed.
Sometimes fate even pulls its strings and sentiment does the rest, as happened with Torres, six years ago.
With him began that search for a goal that has almost become an Atlético custom at this time.
He also returned among the cold Cost
a, signed in September (60 million), but registered in January due to a FIFA sanction.
In his suitcase, without knowing it, he brought more injuries than goals.
One trigger, wow.
And vanished down the road, just a year ago, the dream of
Cavani
.
Simeone yearned for a killer for a blunt team and
He ended up meeting Carrasco again
, today key.
All (except Costa) arrived on loan and with the thumb up from Cholo.In this bazaar of January sales, Atlético has been moving under very similar parameters.
Namely: tracking pedigree strikers who are not going through their best moment and see the rojiblanco team (and in Simeone's mantle) as an opportunity to recover the spell.
And, above all, press for a loan in case the sense of smell fails.Dembélé (24 years old), which he already verified in the Ipurua stands
how Luis Suárez spends them
, arrives, unlike his predecessors, with the nuance of having assumed his role as a supporting actor.
"The most expensive footballer is not worth us because we cannot afford it. Andrea [Berta] always looks for that little bit of skill and opportunism to be able to find what is needed," they underline in the club's offices.
The Frenchman had been on the list of prospects since the summer, when Costa seemed out.
Then, its price and its circumstances made it unaffordable.
After his double with Lyon against City, in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, he disappeared from the radar, as his value soared to 50 million, until, via Valladolid, in the harshest winter on record in Madrid,
Dembélé appeared to pass the medical examination
.
A cloudy start to the course (one goal in 16 games) and a fracture (already welded) in one arm, apart from the scared of Costa, of course, allowed Atlético to tie him up.
If it hadn't been now, it would have been summer.
From the rojiblanca entity they maintain that, if he fits, "especially in philosophy", he will have the opportunity to stay.
There they assure that it was always the first option.
Although for this you have to pay
33.5 million
of euros.
A non-mandatory purchase option.
"It is still to hatch," they emphasize at the club on the striker, with a lower profile than Torres, Morata or Costa, but also with potential (45 goals in 108 games with Lyon and 51 in 94 with Celtic) that may allow you to settle in the Wanda.
Because of the language, although he dominates English,
Lemar
,
Carrasco
and
Kondogbia
they are making it easier for him to land.
"Bringing Fernando is bringing hierarchy"
Dembélé is Simeone's 12th winter signing and the fourth on a list of battering rams that Torres started.
"Bringing Fernando is bringing hierarchy", was the message with which Simeone, infatuated with bringing back his former teammate, settled any doubts before the club's leadership.
He also made it clear to the player, who was then 31 years old and in a mental battle with himself in London and Milan, what he wanted from him, which was enough.
Both had several talks before the matter was finalized.
In fact, the operation had already been tried, without success, in the summer of 2014. The relationship with Chelsea, following the operations for
Coast
and
Filipe Luis
, and even the frustrated at the last minute by
Tiago
, made any negotiation impossible.
Cerci
He returned to Italy and Torres to Madrid, bringing together 45,000 people in his first training session at the Calderón.
His cup double at the Bernabéu and his momentum took
Mandzukic
.
And he felt important again.
"Simeone surrounds them", remember those who lived closely with that operation and, also, the progressive fracture between coach and player.
His story ended in 2018, after winning his first and only title with Atlético (Europa League), nor did he arrive at his best moment.
Morata
(2019), to which Simeone came to insisting that it was ideal for him.
It was not the first time he did it, since he was about to land in 2016, but at the Bernabéu they ended up executing their purchase option when everything was already agreed between Atlético and Juventus.
"He won a lot and Atlético had no money," they remember this newspaper.
A complicated operation in which, in addition, the focus was on filing his image linked to Real Madrid.
That first derby, at the Wanda Metropolitano, helped him.
He was the top scorer last year (16).
As in his return to Turin, the desire of his partner to change London for Madrid was key: Few fish better than Atlético when the sea is rough.
At least in winter.
Now it is Dembélé's turn, who today, against Valencia, could enjoy his first minutes.
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