The Stellar No. 9's of Atlético Madrid in the 21st Century

The most prospective Atlético Madrid teams over the past 20 years have commonly had an extraordinary No. 9. Figures like Luis Suárez, who scored 21 league goals and propelled Atlético to the title in 2021, highlight this fact. Similarly impactful, Diego Costa scored 27 times as part of Diego Simeone's first title-winning team in 2014. 

Among these greats also lies Radamel Falcao, who scored 34 goals in all tournaments as Atlético clinched the 2013 Copa del Rey. Diego Forlán was the last Atlético player to be league-wide Pichichi (top scorer) with 32 goals in 2008-09. And before him, Fernando Torres emerged as a teenager, establishing himself as an icon and Atlético's top scorer for five consecutive seasons.

However, not all notable figures arrived with success. Jackson Martínez, despite being considered one of Europe's best forwards upon his arrival, performed disappointingly. Similarly, Costa's return from Chelsea in January 2018 was not as fruitful as anticipated. Several others, including Nikola Kalinic, Luciano Vietto, and Raúl Jiménez, couldn't live up to the expectations.

Despite these failures, the past two seasons have seen Atlético's top scorer in LaLiga be Antoine Griezmann—an extraordinary player, but not a goal machine. Ángel Correa and Álvaro Morata too showed potential, but they too left.

And thus, changes were made, leading to the arrival of Julián Álvarez. His addition was part of a summer rebuild that keep fans and critics alike buzzing with excitement. This 24-year-old World Cup winner, joining from Manchester City, is Atlético's second most costly acquisition ever and is expected to leave a significant impact in the coming years.