That Atletico Madrid are struggling to keep pace with Real Madrid and Barcelona should not be entirely surprising, given the disparity in their budgets. However it will concern Colchoneros that they have not been able to keep pace with Real Sociedad, looking far closer to the likes of Real Betis, Villarreal and even Rayo Vallecano of late.
Some have claimed at points since they won the league that this is the best squad they have ever had, following their league win two seasons ago. However few would say the same now, as gaping holes in the recruitment seem to appear more regularly.
It is also true that many players have lost some of their aura, form or generally just declined. Yet Diario AS point out that this is an ongoing trend. They point to the fact that the Trasnfermarkt squad value in April of 2019 was at €955m. Currently, it sits at €489m.
A drop of €466m, or 49%, it shows that the value of their squad has almost halved in the space of just under four years.
While these figures are estimates and the actual cost of players depends on a number of circumstances, such a sharp drop does make for a talking point. The reality is that it is not hard to see why on the pitch. With the exception of their league-winning season, a mighty but, the feeling that Atleti can knock any side out of the Champions League on their day has subsided into a team that were knocked out in the group stage in last place this season.
