Throughout the history of Atlético de Madrid, there have been great strikers who have marked an era and who will be remembered forever. In Simeone's era there were many of them, such as Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa, Antoine Griezmann, Luis Suárez ... The Uruguayan could be considered the last great striker whose performance helped lift a title, as was the case in the league won in Valladolid with one of his goals.
The following year, despite scoring several goals, was not the best season for the Uruguayan. However, he returned to help in many games that were stuck for Atlético de Madrid , and left great nights like against FC Barcelona at the Metropolitano . At the time of his departure, Luis Suárez left a big gap that the rojiblanco board had to fill by any means, and during the summer of 2021 there were several names.
Rafa Mir, the best positioned
A long list of forwards appeared at the offices of the Metropolitano to replace the gunslinger who gave such good performances. However, there were two names that, taking advantage of the pull of the Olympic Games , raised greater interest in Atlético de Madrid . And it is that, according to AS,Diego Pablo Simeone 's team was very close to securing the services of Rafa Mir , striker of Wolves of the Premier League .
The Spaniard, after a good season with SD Huesca , returned to the English team knowing that his value had increased. In fact, it is said that the clubs reached an agreement of around 15 million euros, a figure affordable for Atlético de Madrid and accepted in England. However, Wolverhampton decided to scrap the entire operation and the colchoneros went for their plan B, leaving Sevilla as the favourite for Rafa Mir .
Matheus Cunha, the chosen one
The alternative that the Metropolitano offices were considering was called Matheus Cunha , one of the great sensations of that Brazil that ended up taking home the great gold medal. He arrived with several unknowns, since he was just a player that most of the fans didn't know and they didn't understand how he could have ended up at Atlético . However, the footballer little by little won the affection of the people based on effort, although his numbers didn't end up being what everyone expected.
In fact, Matheus Cunha ended up leaving Atlético de Madrid after playing 54 games where he scored 7 goals and provided 9 assists. His low numbers, added to several internal problems with his entourage, made the Brazilian head, curiously, to Wolverhampton in a deal closed at €50m to the surprise of many. Whatever the case, it seems that in Madrid they regret that neither of the two footballers had been at the level of Luis Suárez , who continues to leave a completely indelible memory.