Carlos Bacca: An answer to Atletico striker conundrum? First it was Diego Costa, then Gonzalo Higuain, then Mauro Icardi and Diego Costa again and now Carlos Baca. After the Champions League final defeat, Diego Simeone’s statements of thinking about the future had seen many meanings implied. But the strongest among them was a signal to the Board to sign quality players. The ones who are proven, big-named and command a significant sum.Their search for a hitman to complement the prolific Antoine Griezmann has seen them linked to a host of names.
Carlos Bacca: An answer to Atletico’s striker conundrum?
After all the euphoria among the spanish press of resigning Diego Costa, Chelsea’s recent statements rebuffing the rumours of the Spanish striker’s sale have poured cold water on that prospect. Gonzalo Higuain’s release clause and Napoli president’s adamancy makes it unlikely that Higuain would make the switch. With Mauro Icardi lately being linked with Arsenal, Carlos Bacca is another name looking likely to arrive at Vicente Calderon.

Carlos Bacca: An answer to Atletico striker conundrum?
A shining light amid the gloomy season for Rossoneri, Bacca is likely to command a smaller transfer fee than Icardi.Would his arrival be enough to satiate Diego Simeone’s hunger for more decisive goals is a question yet to be answered.
Europa League final : Decisiveness and Consistency
Carlos Bacca moved to San Siro only last summer. He was brought in with an aim to help the Milan giants break into the top three and secure next season’s Champions League matches. His return of 18 goals should have been enough for any team to achieve that aim in Serie A. However, the wretched performances from the rest of the team saw him languishing seventh, the same position they had achieved under the stewardship of Pipo Inzaghi.Having foregone the chance of playing in Champions League once with Sevilla, it’s unlikely that he will make that sacrifice again for AC Milan. A striker of his calibre deserves the chance to rub shoulders with Europe’s elite and Atletico Madrid are the right club for him to do so.For Atletico, he has the potential to become a smart buy. Still smarting from Jackson Martinez fiasco, the Rojiblancos would be slightly skeptical of Bacca. Turning 30 in September, he would not be a future investment but an apt fulfillment for Simeone’s demands of a quality striker of present. Having enjoyed a good spell with Sevilla, the Colombian has scored goals in La Liga so he would be no stranger to the league thereby easing the pressure on Griezmann’s shoulders and an upgrade on Fernando Torres who is likely to play a bit-part role in the coming season. Unlike Martinez, who arrived from Portugal, Simeone would have seen him from close quarters and would know more about his strengths and weaknesses. The other quality he brings is decisiveness. The penalties were cruel on the Atletico supporters but had Griezmann converted the penalty in the 51st minute, the scenes would have been very different. At the other end is Bacca, whose decisive strike was enough for Sevilla to be crowned Europa League winners in 2015. Granted it is a second tier competition, the Europa league does have it’s share of tough opponents though. This year, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham Hotspurs, Manchester United and Liverpool were some of the big names that failed to lift the crown at St. Jakob’s Park in Basel. His feat therefore cannot be dismissed as in any way as inferior.
Approaching Ban and a Striker of Thirty, No chance for failure.
Atletico’s planning is not solely confined to the present transfer window. Rather, the approaching two transfer window ban will be playing on the minds of the Atletico Board while plotting their summer moves. In Angel Correa, Luciano Vietto and Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, they have their fair share of young blood who would be expected to take the next step and fulfill the promise attached to their potentials. However, to expect them to make the jump in the upcoming season would be too much of an ask. The signing of Carlos Bacca therefore represents its own set of challenges. At thirty, he can’t fail at the club. Firstly, his resale value is unlikely to fetch the sum that Atleti recouped from Martinez’s sale. Secondly, it would leave only Torres and Griezmann as their main strikers. At 33, Torres will not be the fearsome forward that had come up their ranks to become their captain. And with Griezmann, it would be too much of an ask to lead them in all the three competitions they are eligible for.
His signing, if proven successful can help Simeone navigate a tough year and a half without any fresh signings.One thing that could really help El Cholo .