Alexander Sørloth has lived in the shadow of Erling Haaland. Then came the change of pace in development last season as La Liga’s second-highest scoring player in a Villareal shirt. This prompted Altetico coach Diego Simeone to point to the Norwegian striker: I will have him on the team. Sørloth came, started a little cautiously, but since October has shaken out plenty of “goal-ketchup” from the bottle. However, this does not guarantee that the 29-year-old will have a bigger role at Simeone in the future.
Sørloth ended the La Liga season with four goals against Real Sociedad, a hat-trick against Girona. Thus, the super reserve ended with 20 league goals, the fourth highest scorer in Spain. Ståle Solbakken wants Sørloth to steer clear of Solskjaer’s “supersub” label, the Norwegian national team needs a top-class striker who has full games in his legs. Now there are signals that Sørloth will have to look far for such a role at Atletico Madrid.
Even after the Norwegian’s scoring spree, Atletico coach Diego Simeone has stated that he is very pleased with the role Sørloth plays in the Atletico team, an important attacking weapon for the club in the final phase of matches. With Antonine Griezmann on his way away, some thought Sørloth would move up the playing time queue. This week there are reports of the opposite.
Atlético Madrid are preparing for a summer of ambitious transfers, and Lautaro Martínez is once again at the centre of the red and white agenda. The Argentine striker, captain and top scorer of Inter Milan, has been a priority for Diego Simeone for years and, according to El Chiringuito, Atletico’s sporting director has already initiated the first contacts to pursue a signing that would revolutionize the Metropolitano’s attacking line.
The collaboration between Lautaro and Julián has worked perfectly for the Argentine national team, where the two have alternated starting roles and complemented each other with mobility, pressure and scoring. The club’s vision is for Lautaro to be Julián’s ideal partner, with the two swapping positions and posing a constant threat to the opponent’s defence.
For Alexander Sørloth, this could mean another season that relegates him to the super reserve role Ståle Solbakken warns against.
