On the opening weekend of the Premier League season, Manchester City would have enjoyed their position as interested bystanders. 

They saw their neighbours Manchester United stumble to an unconvincing win over Spurs, Chelsea drop two points at home to Swansea and, on Sunday, Arsenal suffer a surprising and traumatic defeat to West Ham at the Emirates.

Now it is City’s turn to finally enter the fray when they face West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on Monday night.

Which version of Manuel Pellegrini’s City side will take the field in the West Midlands and emerge throughout the new season?

The free-scoring and cavalier version that won the title in 2014, or the more timid and porous version that finished in Chelsea’s wake last season?

Recent history has shown City are better suited to pursuing a title than defending it, and the expectation is that they will return a hungrier side.

And yet there has also been a curious malaise lingering around the Etihad stadium this summer

Pellegrini deserves more respect after delivering a title and a runners-up finish in his first two seasons in England, but he continues to be undermined by mounting speculation that he is merely being kept on as a stopgap before Pep Guardiola’s arrival.

Can a squad of players ever truly be at their best when they might believe their manager is leaving soon?

The most pressing concern for City is they are entering the new season with the same defence that destabilised their title challenge in the last campaign.

As City midfielder Fernandinho admitted to the Guardian, “The biggest thing to improve is defensively. The attacking part of the team is very strong, so it’s about improving consistency in defence.”

Last season, City conceded 38 goals, six more than the champions Chelsea and the most of any side in the top four—and even five more than Southampton, who finished seventh.

At this stage, City have so far not sought to reinforce their defence for the new season.

The hope is that Eliaquim Mangala will have learned from his largely underwhelming first season in the Premier League and begin to perform like a £42 million defender.

But City remain vulnerable to every creak and niggle in Vincent Kompany’s increasingly fragile frame, and they always look a very different team without their captain.

Any Kompany absences leaves City with the unconvincing central defensive partnership of Mangala and Martin Demichelis.

At the other end of the pitch, City boast Sergio Aguero, a striker each of their rivals covets for his pace, movement and goalscoring ability. If he stays fit, City could become champions again, but again, any injury could see them miss out.  

Only a year ago, City had an enviable stable of four proven strikers, but Alvaro Negredo is now at Valencia, Stevan Jovetic on loan at Inter Milan and Edin Dzeko could be days away from signing for AS Roma.

It leaves City dangerously short of strikers, with just Wilfried Bony as a partner or alternative to Aguero, and the former Swansea man has made a tentative start to life at the Etihad with just two goals in his first 12 appearances for the club.

As well as those departing strikers, City’s squad has lost some of its bulk with the sales of James Milner, Micah Richards, Matilja Nastasic, Dedryck Boyata and Frank Lampard, who chipped in with a crucial eight goals last season.

For all of City’s wealth, it seems almost perverse to suggest they might lack the strength in depth to regain the title, but weaknesses remain.

However, the one area of the side that should give City real grounds for optimism this season is their midfield.  

Bolstered by the signings of Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and Patrick Roberts, the City midfield now boasts an even more impressive balance of grit and creativity. This remains the powerbase of their team.

The trusted talents of David Silva, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri and Fernandinho know how to navigate a Premier League season and win a title.

And for all the incredulity over his inflated transfer fee of £49 million, and the discomfort at the manner in which he leveraged himself out of Liverpool, it should not be forgotten that Sterling is a wonderful and rare talent.

Blessed with pace and a real understanding of the game, and having now relocated to a club where he now feels loved and wanted, Sterling could light up this season.

City have now finished in the top three for each of the last five seasons and should do so again this season, but the constant undermining of their manager, an over-reliance on Kompany and Aguero and their diminished stable of strikers means it is likely to be in second or third position, not as champions.

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As part of an extremely busy summer transfer window at the Vicente Calderon, centre-back Stefan Savic has made the switch from Fiorentina to Atletico Madrid. 

After a troubled stint at Manchester City in 2011-12, the Montenegrin forged a strong reputation for himself in Serie A across three seasons at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence and, at 24, has now made the move to one of Europe’s rapidly rising outfits amid a major summer reshuffle on the banks of the Manzanares in the Spanish capital. 

But what sort of player have Atletico landed themselves? Is he a steal?

Playing Style

Savic represents something of a deviation from the script in regards to the style of Atletico Madrid central defenders. 

Indeed, whereas Diego Godin, Miranda and Jose Gimenez have been defined by their force, physicality and combative traits—essentially embodying the essence of manager Diego Simeone—the Montenegro international is a centre-back of a different tune. 

Tall and rather finely built for a player at his position, Savic relies on positional awareness and reading of the play to defend, rather than athleticism. Because of that, combined with his height, he’s skillful in the air and has been among the leaders in Serie A for aerials won across the past two seasons, per WhoScored.com. 

The former Manchester City man is also composed on the ball and neat in possession—the sort of centre-back who can help to build moves as well as repel them. 

But his style will take a bit of getting used to at the Vicente Calderon. He won’t clatter into forwards like Miranda. He won’t dominate the box like Godin. He won’t dive head-first to block shots like Gimenez. 

Instead, Savic is a defender of brains rather than brawn—guile rather than grunt. And in an Atleti outfit undergoing a change in style, a shift unfolding as to how they use the ball, Savic represents a nice point of difference who can help facilitate that. He’s a complementary piece. 

Who’s He Replacing?

On the face of it, Savic looks to be a replacement for Miranda, the Brazilian centre-back who departed to Inter Milan this summer. In that sense (as outlined above), the former Fiorentina man is very different to his predecessor. 

The now departed 30-year-old had been a pillar of Simeone‘s defence since his arrival, his rugged, no-nonsense and aggressive approach perfectly suiting the Atleti Simeone has led until now. 

But Savic can’t really be considered a replacement for Miranda. Both in terms of experience and style, the comparison isn’t quite right. 

Instead, Savic is effectively a replacement for Toby Alderweireld, the former Atletico defender who spent last season on loan Southampton and who was eventually sold to Tottenham this summer because of his wish to remain in the Premier League. 

Indeed, the Belgian, at 26, is the man whose boots Savic is filling, given that Alderweireld was wanted back at the Vicente Calderon because of his blend of defensive strength and ease on the ball—the latter quality developed in his formative years at Ajax. 

What Role Will He Play?

Though Savic has arrived in the Spanish capital as one of Atletico Madrid’s major summer signings, he still seems unlikely to start the season in Simeone‘s first-choice XI. 

With Godin still considered among the finest centre-backs in Europe, and with Gimenez possibly the brightest defensive talent on the continent, the Montenegrin looks set to start the new campaign third in the pecking order. 

However, his presence will still be vitally important for Simeone. The Argentinian will want to ensure Gimenez has stiff competition for his place, the Atelti boss renowned for wanting to challenge his young stars (see Antoine Griezmann). 

As such, Simeone will essentially pit Savic in a head-to-head battle with the precocious Uruguayan, hoping that the competition between two relative equals fast-tracks the pair’s development and maintains their intensity across the campaign. 

If Gimenez slips, even just fractionally (and it’s possible given the dreaded second-season syndrome), Savic will be waiting.

The Outlay

So the price: What is it?

When Savic‘s signing was announced, Marca reported the fee to be €12 million plus Mario Suarez, who has gone the other way to Fiorentina. Later, Marca raised that figure, reporting it at €15 million, while Sky Sports pointed to Italian reports indicating something in the region of €9 million. 

At Transfermarkt, the deals are considered separate, and the defender’s price is presented at £17.5 million (€24.7 million), while Suarez’s is £10.5 million (€14.8 million), effectively making the sum for Savic £7 million (€9.9 million). 

If the reported prices are accurate, Atletico Madrid look to have gotten themselves something of a steal. 

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Real Madrid travel to Norway on Sunday to take on Valerenga in the latest part of the club’s pre-season campaign that has already visited Australia, China and Germany.

Those stops have seen Los Blancos register three victories, two draws and just one loss across six meetings with AS Roma, Manchester City, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.

It’s been an intriguing pre-season thus far for Real, the team still adjusting to new manager Rafa Benitez who is implementing a re-worked system for the 2014 European champions. Sunday’s clash will give the team another opportunity to grow accustomed to the Spaniard’s methods.

However, the major focus in this friendly meeting with Valerenga will be Martin Odegaard‘s return to his native Norway, with Marca reporting all 28,000 seats at the Ullevaal Stadion have been sold, as Oslo anticipates the Norwegian prodigy’s return. Benitez, one senses, will award the 16-year-old a start in what is expected to be a second-string lineup.

For the hosts, while Sunday’s clash is a rare opportunity to see one of Europe’s heavyweights up close, the match might be viewed as a hinderance by manager Kjetil Rekdal.

Indeed, the Norwegian top-flight competition, the Tippeligaen, runs an April-to-November schedule to avoid the bitter cold of the northern winter. As such, whereas Madrid are currently in pre-season, Valerenga will be playing this friendly in the middle of their competitive season.

Currently, the side sits second in the table behind Rosenborg and will have little preparation for this game after a 1-0 victory over Tromso on Friday.

Match Details

Date: Sunday, August 9

Time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 3 p.m. local

Venue: Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway

TV Info: TV 2 (Norway), Cuatro (Spain), Real Madrid TV (International)

Live Stream: No live stream broadcasting information was available at the time of publishing. We will update this page if and when the information becomes available.

Team News

Real Madrid announced their 23-man squad on Saturday, with forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema still missing from the group after also sitting out the trip to Munich for the Audi Cup. The Portuguese is still suffering from pain in his lower back, while the Frenchman is still recovering from a thigh injury that has put him in doubt for Real’s season opener against Sporting Gijon.

Also absent from Benitez’s squad are central defenders Sergio Ramos and Pepe. The former suffered a hard knock against Bayern Munich, per Marca, while the latter strained a muscle in his right leg during the same game. 

Real Madrid’s squad for this match is as follows:

Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla, Ruben Yanez, Raphael Varane, Nacho, Marcelo, Daniel Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa, Danilo, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Denis Cheryshev, Isco, Asier Illarramendi, Marco Asensio, Marcos Llorente, Martin Odegaard, Jese, Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral.

Form Lines

Predicted Lineups

Players to Watch

With Benzema in doubt for the beginning of Real Madrid’s season in La Liga, homegrown forward Jese could start the campaign leading the attack for Benitez.

After a frustrating season in 2014-15 in which he was a backup wide option to the ever-present Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, the Spaniard looks as though he’ll effectively become Javier Hernandez’s replacement this term, supporting Benzema in the No. 9 role.

But with the Frenchman missing, this is an opportunity for Jese to continue to build on a promising pre-season campaign that has seen some lively performances and a very neat goal against Inter Milan. More goals here might earn him a start against Sporting Gijon on August 23.

The other players to watch in this meeting will be defensive duo Raphael Varane and Nacho.

With Ramos and Pepe absent for this game, the two young centre-backs will start for Benitez and will be eager to erase any memories of their last start together as a pairing, when they were battered into submission by Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann in a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Atletico Madrid in February.

For Varane, this clash is probably more important than it is for Nacho. Right now, Benitez will be trying to establish whom he trusts most to hold together his defence, and strong displays from the Frenchman between now and Pepe’s return from injury might see Varane permanently lock down a starting spot for the first time in his Real Madrid career.

Odds (via OddsChecker)

Valerenga: 10-1

Draw: 6-1

Real Madrid: 1-6

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“Rafa doesn’t have any sentiment. He’s not interested in social skills. He tries to come across as a warm person, but he is as harsh a guy as you will ever come across.”

Craig Bellamy wrote that about Rafa Benitez in his autobiography, GoodFella, having played under the Spanish coach at Liverpool.

It gives an insight into the coach’s personality and perhaps reveals what his biggest problem might be at Real Madrid: himself.

When you are manager of what many consider to be the biggest club in the world, you will always have problems.

There are always issues to deal with. From the squad to the fans and the media to the board, every detail is scrutinised.

On paper, things have been going well for Real Madrid in Rafa’s short reign so far.

Pre-season results have been good, with Los Blancos winning both International Champions Cup tournaments in which they competed, in Australia and China. That included a 4-1 win over Manchester City, and they only conceded two goals in six games.

The defence was a weak point for Real Madrid last season, and Benitez has already gone about fixing it.

Madrid conceded 17 goals more than champions Barcelona and also more than Atletico Madrid, Valencia and Villarreal, who finished sixth.

But sooner or later at Madrid, problems appear, and we will look at what Benitez may have to contend with.

As demonstrated by Bellamy’s comments, Benitez isn’t a people person. He has upset several key players at his previous teams.

He fell out with Xabi Alonso and Albert Riera at Liverpool, with the latter making some scathing remarks about his former boss, per the Daily Mail:

When you stop being important for the coach it has to be something personal. If I am doing things badly and you are my boss and you value me, you are going to tell me what I have to do to get back playing. That is what hurts me. It is a lack of tact. It seems strange that being Spanish there should be a problem with communication.

I have been here two years and he has never sorted out a situation with a player by talking to him. He thinks that it is him in charge and he is deaf to everything else. The dialogue is practically nil. This year has been difficult and he has changed nothing. When you see that the boat is sinking and you don’t change anything.

John Terry and Marco Materazzi are two other high-profile players who fell out with Benitez. You wonder what will happen at Madrid, where there is the notoriously hard-to-please Cristiano Ronaldo.

There have already been signs of danger, with the Portuguese spotted mouthing off in displeasure when the team were asked to finish training by playing crossbar challenge. Per Sport, he was also unhappy with Benitez’s refereeing during the session:

Cristiano Ronaldo got angry during a Real Madrid training session in Australia on Wednesday. During a mini-game, Madrid’s new boss ruled out a goal by the club’s No.7, a decision which did not go down too well at all. ‘F—, man… you only see offences against the Portuguese players,’ Ronaldo stropped.

This is the biggest job Benitez has ever had, and he is working with more star names than he has previously handled. A new form of pressure.

As well as interacting well with his team, he also needs to keep them happy on the pitch. If he gives players specific roles they don’t enjoy, there may be trouble.

Ronaldo may be upset if Gareth Bale becomes the main focus for the team, which looks like it may happen if some of the pre-season tactics are anything to go by.

The Welshman, at least, is happy with Benitez. He told Sport: “I am confident anyway, but it’s great to have the support of the manager and the president and, hopefully, I can repay them now with goals and trophies. I have spoken to the manager about playing through the middle.”

Let’s say Benitez can keep from upsetting any of the Madrid squad. What other problems could he face at the Santiago Bernabeu?

One is Barcelona. Madrid’s eternal rivals are in an extremely strong moment, having won the treble, and Benitez’s job is to take them on without significant reinforcement to his squad.

The likes of Denis Cheryshev and Lucas Vazquez offer different options, but barring the signing of Danilo it’s hard to argue Madrid’s team is any stronger than last season.

What might prove to be a nice problem to have, if it doesn’t become a divisive issue, is how to fit Ronaldo, Bale, Karim Benzema, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, James Rodriguez and Isco into six places.

All seven of those players will believe they have earned the right to start every game, but they can’t all fit in. As Tim Collins explained on Bleacher Report:

Stars like Ronaldo want to be stars, not rotating components. What’s more, their stature sees them exert an implied influence over a coach, which means that rotating them to accommodate Isco won’t be easy. And Benitez needs only to look at Luis Enrique’s predicament at Barcelona in January for evidence that the rotation of stars at this level is fraught with peril.

And that’s before you get to the likes of Jese, who has been explosive in pre-season, and Casemiro, who could add extra defensive balance and stability in the midfield.

As explained above, Benitez is already improving in that department, but if it comes at the cost of goals and exciting football, Madrid fans may not be too happy.

There are also the media battles he faces, with other managers, such as Jose Mourinho, and also with the press.

Benitez is often made fun of for his weight, and the Chelsea manager has already taken a jibe at both the coach and his wife over this issue, saying: “If she takes care of her husband’s diet, she will not have any time to talk about me.”

According to AS (h/t the Independent), Madrid have told Benitez to slim down to avoid jokes at his expense.

Rafa’s stock has sunk over the past decade, failing miserably at Inter Milan, being reviled at Chelsea and mediocre with Napoli. Long gone are his glory days of Valencia and his Champions League win with Liverpool.

When he was appointed by Madrid in the summer, it felt like it was only because Florentino Perez wanted to get rid of Carlo Ancelotti and there were no better options.

Perez could be another problem for Benitez, with the president having a notoriously quick trigger finger. If things don’t go well it would be no surprise to see the Spaniard depart at the end of the season, which puts extra pressure on Rafa’s back.

This is his dream job, as he showed at his presentation, during which when he cried with happiness. Benitez must stay on top of these problems to prevent his dream turning into a nightmare.

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Manchester City have been England’s third-best club since their takeover in September 2008. City Football Group have won four domestic trophies building their English project, enjoying more success in those seven campaigns than the previous 48 seasons combined.

Numerous managers have attempted to bring the Citizens up from their mid-table status to European power, and this endeavour required heavy investment. From summer 2008 to before summer 2015, City had spent upwards of £690 million on players; Father Time, however, has come knocking for some of those key transactions.

Vincent Kompany (29), David Silva (29), Pablo Zabaleta (30), Yaya Toure (32) and several others who have been long-serving members of City’s squad are reaching the ends of their respective careers—though some are further along than others.

While never able to lay their proverbial hands on one of the world’s pre-eminent superstars—e.g. Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo—City have a strong core, led primarily by the world-class Sergio “Kun” Aguero.

The 27-year-old centre-forward is Manuel Pellegrini’s unquestioned key player and, when healthy, is the best striker in English football. How the Argentine’s future pans out at the Etihad cannot be speculated upon, but for now, Aguero is Manchester City’s foreseeable star.

While their newly branded No. 10 is Pellegrini’s current talisman, the Citizens should have one eye on the future and attempt to find their next torchbearer. To that aim, Manchester’s blue half has opted for youthful options this summer. Raheem Sterling (20) and Fabian Delph (25) have been thrown into the mix, costing £57 million in total.

Of the two major incoming transfers, Sterling certainly carries the higher expectation and, in the immediate future, should blossom into one of England’s best attacking players regardless of position.

Set to eclipse 100 Premier League appearances before his 21st birthday and already a permanent member of Roy Hodgson’s England team, how high Sterling climbs depends solely on his dedication to fulfilling his apparent and obvious potential.

Is there a difference, though, between being labelled a great player and a “star?”

One would argue there is.

A great player contributes to his squad with solid performances serially. A “star,” however, must be more than talented, more than a consistent contributor—he must be an ambassador for his club off the pitch. Whether Sterling can develop a charismatic, marketable personality will determine the ex-Liverpool man’s ultimate status in a global sense.

Manchester City have an obvious, £49 million option in their squad, but a lesser-known commodity could prove just as viable—depending on Pellegrini’s level of confidence in his club’s academy.

Kelechi Iheanacho, an 18-year-old centre-forward (who can also play in attacking midfield), looks a promising talent. The Nigerian under-20 international has forged his way into City’s first team for the 2015/16 season.

By all accounts, the Nigerian attacker has the makings of a Premier League player. Similar to Sterling at Liverpool, all he needs is an opportunity—which he could receive.

Alvaro Negredo has been sold, John Guidetti was released when his contract expired, Stevan Jovetic has left on loan to Inter Milan and Edin Dzeko’s move to AS Roma, via Sky Sports, appears all but announced.

These transactions open the door for the young Iheanacho to prove himself, both in training and the occasional first-team appearance.

The Nigerian attacker living up to his hype would give Manchester City not only a proper centre-forward but (given his demeanour) a certain star as well.

Finding Premier League quality is not simple nor cheap.

Finding legitimate stars is even more challenging.

Manchester City would be happy to worry about their next talisman once Aguero leaves/fades, but it is exceedingly possible they already possess their heir apparent.

He need but announce himself.

Follow @trophytransfer

*Stats via WhoScored.com; transfer fees via Soccerbase where not noted.

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Chelsea fans received some good news before the 2015-16 season has even begun, as the club announced on Friday that manager Jose Mourinho has signed a new four-year contract that should keep him at the club until 2019.

The Blues announced the news via their official website, with Mourinho expressing his delight at signing a new deal:

If the club is happy, I am happy. I think this is a normal thing for me to sign a new contract. It is important we have this continuity and I hope we can enjoy more success in the future – for the fans, the players and the club.

I said when I returned here two years ago that I have a special feeling for this club and nothing changed. It is the club closest to my heart and I am very happy to know I will be staying here for a long time.

Mourinho has been the face of the new Chelsea under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, guiding the Blues to three Premier League titles in two spells with the club. During his first reign, from 2004 until 2007, he firmly established the club as one of the heavyweights in England.

He moved to Inter Milan, where he won the treble in 2009-10, and had an inconsistent spell with Real Madrid before returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013. A year later, the Blues won both the Premier League title and the Capital One Cup.

Mourinho is widely considered to be among the finest tacticians in the world, although fans of rival clubs often mock the Special One for his defensive mindset. It’s becoming impossible to count the amount of bus-related puns we’ve seen over the years, and Full Time Devils just can’t get enough of them:

It’s hard to argue with his incredible success rate, however, and a contract extension always seemed likely. TalkSPORT’s Sam Matterface is convinced Mourinho will stay in the Premier League for the foreseeable future, unlike one of his colleagues:

Mourinho is a showman and an entertainer, and the Premier League is a better league with the Portuguese manager around. His feud with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, per the Daily Mail‘s Neil Ashton, is one of many reasons why neutral fans either love or hate Mourinho, and we can expect to see plenty of headlines involving the Special One throughout the upcoming season.

His next challenge will be to find success in Europe with the Blues. While he’s won the UEFA Champions League with FC Porto and Inter Milan, he’s yet to raise any trophy in Europe with Chelsea, and given the club’s ambition, a strong run in Europe should be the top priority in 2015-16 and beyond.

Follow @ReverschPass.

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“Koke, Godin and that’s about it.”

Those were Diego Simeone’s words to Marca in June, when the Atletico Madrid manager was asked which members of his squad were untouchable—not for sale. The extensive list, featuring all of two names, was first revealing and then logical, giving insight into how the Argentinian likes to build his teams and how he perceives his side’s identity.

In Koke, Simeone has the man he wants to lead his midfield, a precocious, humble and fiercely loyal star, a Colchonero through and through. In Diego Godin, he has the pillar of his defence, perhaps the finest centre-back in Europe. Marca calls him one of Simeone’s “lieutenants.”

Koke had been wanted by Barcelona and Chelsea but told AS, “I’ll play here.” One box ticked.

Godin was then chased by Manchester City, with big money on the table. But Atletico are winning that battle, too, with Godin closing in on a new deal—the second and final box almost ticked as well. 

If the Uruguayan’s new contract is made official in the coming days, as Marca suggests, it will cap off an almost flawless summer at the Vicente Calderon.

In addition to fending off interest for Koke and Godin, Simeone and Co. have held on to star forward Antoine Griezmann, emerging defender Jose Gimenez and promising gloveman Jan Oblak. In doing so, Atleti have protected their spine—the very thing they were robbed of in the corresponding period last year.  

Atleti’s summer that has gone from strength to strength has also featured more than just the retention of key faces; the club’s transfer business, both in buying and selling, has been nothing short of exceptional.

Naturally, the incoming stars have been much discussed, the likes of Jackson Martinez, Luciano Vietto and Yannick Carrasco giving Simeone genuine fire power, while the acquisitions of Stefan Savic and Filipe Luis have addressed the only other areas of need in the squad. But just as notable has been Atleti’s success in negotiating deals for outgoing players. 

Consider Guilherme Siqueira. The Brazilian is on his way to Juventus in a loan move that will become a €10 million (£7 million) permanent transfer at the end of next season, per Goal.com. For a player who endured a rather torrid season in 2014-15 it’s a notable sum, Atleti recouping every cent they outlaid on the left-back last summer. And Siqueira isn’t the only one. 

Atleti received a similar figure from Fiorentina for Mario Suarez, per Transfermarkt, the deal helping to facilitate Savic’s move the other way. Mario Mandzukic has also switched to Serie A, Los Colchoneros receiving £13.3 million—essentially the cost of Vietto—for the Croatian who became an awkward fit in Simeone’s system. 

Elsewhere, the club managed to sell Miranda to Inter Milan for a fee that will eventually become £8.4 million, cashing in on a 30-year-old defender who has a patchy recent injury history and who Atletico signed on a free transfer in 2011. They also avoided a potential mess with Southampton over the sale of Toby Alderweireld to Tottenham Hotspur for £11.2 million. And though waving goodbye to Arda Turan was difficult, almost £24 million from Barcelona will have softened the blow. 

What it all means is that even after signing Martinez (£24.5 million), Vietto (£14 million), Carrasco (£14 million), Savic (£17.5 million) and Luis (£11.2 million), Atletico’s net spend this summer has been just over £20 million, per Transfermarkt, once Siqueira’s deal is considered. And the club has retained Koke, Griezmann, Gimenez, Oblak and most likely Godin as well. 

As such, the noises currently emanating from the Vicente Calderon are in stark contrast to those of this time last year. “It’s going to be hard to be repeat what we achieved last season,” was Gabi’s message last July, “because Barcelona and Real Madrid have bigger budgets, are spending more on players and have great squads.”

There was a resignation in the captain after watching the 2013-14 squad dismantled, his sentiment mirrored by Miguel Angel Moya, who said third or fourth was “our place.”

Now, though, it’s very different. “I believe that this season we can compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona,” Koke told i3 Sports earlier this month, per Goal. He might be right; they potentially can. 

After an almost flawless summer, Atletico Madrid have arguably the most talented squad they’ve had in decades.

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Internazionale have been in the wilderness for too long. A storied, historic club that won the UEFA Champions League as recently as 2010, it’s difficult to see them floundering in Serie A midtable—unless you’re an AC Milan fan, of course.

The Nerazzurri are on their seventh manager since the departure of Jose Mourinho—the man who won that famous European title five years ago—with no appointment spanning longer than 12 months. Gian Piero Gasperini and Andrea Stramaccioni were especially harmful choices by former club president Massimo Moratti and Co.

The club’s Serie A finishing positions post-2011 have been sixth, ninth, fifth and most recently eighth, in 2014-15. While Juventus have taken the division by storm and returned to Europe’s elite, Roma have established themselves as the second-best side in the division and Napoli have risen to the fore, Inter have dropped into the depths of mediocrity.

But the hope is that’s about to change, and there are two chief reasons for this.

First, Roberto Mancini has taken the reins at San Siro again. The Italian enjoyed a particularly successful spell with the club between 2004 and 2008, winning three Scudettos, two Coppa Italias, and two Supercoppas, and since then he has produced silverware-attaining seasons with Manchester City and Galatasaray. He may still seem unable to negotiate European nights under the lights, but he’s damn effective in the league.

And second, an injection of cash from club president Erick Thohir has allowed them to spend big in the market and introduce true quality to the squad for the first time in years; gone are the expensive, old hangovers from the Mourinho era, and in come younger, brighter talents.

As we sit on the cusp of the 2015-16 campaign, B/R runs the rule over Inter and dissects what appears to be a re-emerging force on the peninsula. It’d be good for the game and great for Serie A if Inter were to return to the heights the fans demand.

1. The Changes

Inter have been busy in the market and settled a number of key deals swiftly, signalling their intent to drastically improve this season.

The marquee signing is £25 million man Geoffrey Kondogbia from Monaco, a powerful French midfielder who, while hardly Paul Pogba, has outrageous upside and stands a day-one starter and upgrade. The club acquired Jeison Murillo and Miranda to revamp central defence, Martin Montoya has been loaned in to play right-back and Stevan Jovetic will join Mauro Icardi in attack this season.

A lot of players have exited as a result; Zdravko Kuzmanovic, Marco Benassi, Hugo Campagnaro, Jonathan, Joel Obi and Ruben Botta have all sought pastures new.

Every listed incoming player is a top (or soon-to-be top) performer, while every listed departure is a sigh of relief from both a quality and wage-bill standpoint. Inter have bought big and bought well, but they’ve pruned efficiently, too.

It leaves the depth at an ideal level—not so crammed that Mancini has more men than oars, but that the Italian tactician has the opportunity to bring youth into the equation without having to rely on it when push comes to shove.

2. Dance with a Diamond?

Although Inter fans are likely less assured at this stage, keep in mind that pre-season results mean nothing. It’s a fitness programme with matches open to the public involved, and because the money’s so good they play them anywhere from Los Angeles to Shanghai, rather than behind closed doors.

Mancini’s men lost every pre-season game of note, turning in some iffy showings in the International Champions Cup. A 1-0 loss to Milan was only decided by a Philippe Mexes golazo, but the Nerazzurri were outclassed by Real Madrid.

Again, results-wise, this doesn’t really matter, but what you can glean from the summer schedule are tactical nuances and intentions. It’s a time to experiment, but many managers also show their hand—Mancini trialled a 3-5-2 in pre-season with City once, then used it to good effect over the course of half a Premier League campaign.

Inter have danced with a 4-4-2 diamond this summer, and while the results weren’t great, the film shows promise. Bar perhaps one position, they look well set, and the personnel Mancini has collected suits the system.

A diamond, inherently narrow due to a lack of wingers, must find width from its full-backs, and Montoya is perfectly capable of holding the width on the right, keeping possession and progressing forward.

Things are far less certain on the opposite flank—”We need a left-back,” admitted Mancini last week following defeat to Galatasaray, per Football Italia—but Davide Santon is an option until they can find a player.

Mateo Kovacic appears to be yet another manager’s favourite as the regista, and his performances show real growth. Not only does he dictate play and keep the ball with consummate ease now, but he also shuttles forward, takes markers on and opens up the pitch.

The energy of Kondogbia and Marcelo Brozovic in the box-to-box roles, in addition to the freshness of impressive youngster Assane Gnoukouri, have given this formation a good tempo in pre-season. Mauro Icardi presses from the front, Hernanes (in the hole) follows suit and the midfield three span out to cover the gaps:

The acquisition of Jovetic is a good one, and should he rekindle his own form and find fitness, he’d be the perfect partner for Icardi in the diamond. The former is a deep-lying forward, happy to drop in and create, while the latter is a pure No. 9 interested in running the channels and stretching the pitch. It’d be very Carlos Tevez-Alvaro Morata—balanced and lethal.

3. Or Revert to 4-3-3?

Inter dabbled with the diamond last season, too, but Mancini’s chopping and changing was so ferocious no system really became a consistent option. While a back three is forever on the cards given the man in charge, some Italian aficionados expect the club to settle into a 4-3-3 look following the culmination of a topsy-turvy summer.

That would change very little in the defensive and midfield lines; Kovacic, two box-to-box companions and a flat back four would still be in play. Montoya and his plus-one wouldn’t be quite so heavily relied upon to create width in attack so high up, but the roles would largely remain the same.

Up top, though, it would see Icardi line up as a lone striker and Jovetic pushed wide. Xherdan Shaqiri, whom Inter seem to be trying to get rid of, could come back in for a key role on the opposite flank. The club also picked up winger Jonathan Biabiany on a free transfer this summer, while Rodrigo Palacio could shift wide at a push.

But given the remarkable number of central players Inter employ—we’ve spoken about five, yet we’re still to discuss any possible roles for Gary Medel and Fredy Guarin—surely it would be better to adopt the 4-4-2 and settle in one shape?

It’s rare to see a collection of central midfielders so inclined to play the diamond. Kovacic is the regista, but they have cover, and the energy is there to bring the ball out from the back without high width. Hernanes can be a firecracker from the No. 10 role when on form. Shaqiri could even rotate with him; he’s shown for Switzerland he can be devastating when made the “main main” of the team.

Projection

Inter have spent a fair chunk of money this summer (more than €60 million), but the overhaul has long been overdue. In order to make up the considerable ground between themselves and the Champions League pack in Serie A, they’ll need a tactical oddity or nuance to make them tough to play.

A fresh look with fresh players in a diamond could be just the ticket, though some final adjustments would need to be made.

Juan Jesus cannot be considered an answer at left-back—particularly in a diamond, where he would at times be the sole width on the left—and links to Domenico Criscito, as reported by Sky Sport Italia (via Football Italia), are encouraging. There may also be a need for depth on the right if all of Inter’s full-backs are sold.

But the groundwork is there, and the quality is there. Samir Handanovic, Miranda, Kovacic, Kondogbia, Jovetic, Icardi? That’s a spine many managers would consider chopping off limbs for.

For the first time in four years, Inter have a legitimate shot of breaching back into Italy’s elite—the first step on a long road to recovering their global standing in the game.

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