Atlético de Madrid continues its search for young talents to strengthen its squad. In this context, one of the names that has gained great relevance is that of Javi Serrano, a youth player who is attracting the attention of coach Diego Simeone. The similarity with the profile of Pablo Barrios, who stood out last season, has been a crucial point in Serrano's assessment.
In the recent transfer market, Atlético de Madrid evaluated several options to reinforce the midfield. Names such as Matheus Nunes were in the conversation, but the club did not finalize the arrival of any central midfielder. Despite options such as Conor Gallagher, whose position does not exactly fit the desired profile, Cholo was left without the ideal player to cover that specific role.
Simeone likes it
In this context, Javi Serrano has emerged as a very interesting alternative for Simeone. The Argentine coach has shown his confidence in the young academy product, including him in the starting eleven in the match against Valencia. This test came at a time when Pablo Barrios was injured and Gallagher and Rodrigo de Paul were still with their national teams. Javi Serrano took Barrios' place alongside Koke in the midfield, thus showing his ability and adaptation to the first team.
Javi Serrano had already had previous opportunities with the Atlético de Madrid first team. In the 21/22 season, Simeone gave him the chance to play in seven games. His performances included a standout participation in the final stretch of the Champions League match against Liverpool and a start in LaLiga against Granada. These previous experiences demonstrated his potential and ability to play at a high level.
Aware of Serrano's potential, Atlético decided to loan him out to the Segunda División the following season, choosing Mirandés as his destination. However, despite the opportunity, the midfielder did not have the expected impact in Miranda de Ebro. This season, at 21 years of age, Javi Serrano stayed at Atlético de Madrid, waiting for a new opportunity under Simeone's management.
A summer under Cholo's orders
During the summer, the player stayed with the first team and was not loaned out again. With the arrival of the international break, Serrano took the opportunity to train with the first team and show Cholo his progress. In preseason, he had already had minutes in several friendlies, showing that he is ready to take on more responsibilities.
With Atlético de Madrid's midfield under constant evaluation, Javi Serrano is emerging as a promising option. While waiting to see what Thomas Lemar's condition is, Simeone is currently counting on Koke, Pablo Barrios, Rodrigo de Paul and Conor Gallagher for the central positions. Javi Serrano, with his recent development and his performance in training, could become a valuable alternative for the team.