According to Marca, Barcelona are in pole position to sign Atletico Madrid left-back Filipe Luis. The Brazilian international is running out of contract at the end of this month, and there haven’t been any talks of a contract extension. That means he will be available on a free transfer this summer. The report claims that a move to Barcelona is the likeliest destination for Luis.
Filipe Luis’ success at Atletico
Filipe Luis is one of the most well-established fullbacks in Spanish football. The Brazilian enjoyed eight good seasons at Atletico Madrid, during which he accumulated 333 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Luis, did, however, spend a short one-season spell at Chelsea during 2014/15 campaign. The move turned out to be a disaster, and the defender returned to Atleti the following season. The 33-year-old was a vital part of Diego Simeone’s defensively rigid setup at Atletico. And his ability to adapt to certain situations coupled with his tactical versatility made him a tailor-made fit for Los Rojiblancos.
In recent years, Luis’ overall game-time was minimised to an extent, due to the emergence of Lucas Hernandez. The Frenchman will, however, leave Atletico this summer in favour of a move to Bayern Munich. But, at the age of 33, it is unlikely Luis will be able to continue to thrive under Simeone’s tactical setup, which requires a lot of athleticism.
What can Luis offer to the table?
As iterated earlier, Luis is a tactically astute defender. Though primarily an attack-minded left-back, the Brazilian is well aware of his defensive chores and has often operated as an auxiliary left-sided centre-back under Simeone.
He is gifted with technical qualities as well and can rotate possession at a quick rate – something that could tune in well with Barcelona’s style of play. He can also whip in crosses into the box. But, his biggest strength in his ability to adapt to different tactical situations as well as his aggression. The 33-year-old has notably averaged 2.4 tackles per game this past season.
Will Luis be a good signing for Barcelona?
Filipe Luis will be a welcome addition to Barcelona as he can add the much-needed depth in the left-back department – something they have lacked following the departure of Lucas Digne last summer.
The Brazilian is also quite experienced at the highest level of football. That means he won’t have any difficulties in adapting and coping with the soaring expectation that is usually associated with any Barcelona newcomer.
But most importantly, the Atletico Madrid defender will be able to bring another dimension to the Barcelona defence, thanks to his all-round qualities. And given the fact that he can arrive at free of cost – a move for Luis will be a smart decision by Barcelona.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
