What Atlético Madrid Talisman Antoine Griezmann Says About Soccer Recruitment

Since opting for a liberated shock of pink hair, 32-year-old Antoine Griezmann and Atlético Madrid’s game has changed, too.

The Frenchman, once typically a winger for Real Sociedad and sometimes an auxiliary forward at Barcelona, is now a different soccer beast in the Spanish capital—a versatile player contributing defensively, linking play and scoring.

Joint best in the La Liga goal contribution charts and among the hardest-working attacking stars on the continent, he’s also propelled Atlético from an uninspiring disappointment to a side primed to steal a second-place league finish from rival Real Madrid this campaign.

But he’s received enough attention for that. So, as clubs up and down Europe prepare to upgrade their rosters this summer, what about his—and others’—bearing on the soccer market?

“The more positions a player can perform, the higher the value,” Matteo Campodonico, who founded Wyscout—a service offering professionals video and comprehensive data on soccer players—told me in an interview. “Griezmann is an example of a modern player. And it’s good to have players in different roles.”

There are other comparable examples in Spain. For instance, Barcelona’s typically fluid setup has allowed Ronald Araújo—a standout name in a sturdy defense—to march forward and demonstrate his capabilities further up the field, much to boss Xavi’s delight as the Catalans near a domestic title.

Over in England, Liverpool head coach Jürgen Klopp has deployed attacking pass-master Trent Alexander-Arnold centrally, a change from his usual full-back position. The result has been a surge in points and potentially countless dollars saved in the transfer market, should Liverpool see him as a solution to its midfield woes.

And there are more instances in the Premier League, like incoming defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko and Dan Burn boosting high-achieving Arsenal and Newcastle United, respectively. Full-back Zinchenko, a €35 million ($38 million) purchase, has positively realigned the Arsenal defense, while Burn—billed as a €14 million ($15 million) center-back—has successfully sidestepped to the left.

Naturally, for every Griezmann, there is an Erling Haaland. While he does impact matches outside the box, the Norwegian striker’s primary currency is goals; 35 league strikes, to be precise. As Campodonico notes, there is a demand for players who stick to one position and master it, too.

Players like Griezmann show us the way, mind. Earlier this month, Atlético head coach Diego Simeone said the number eight was among “the best in the club’s history” (Spanish), which may be down to his game intelligence and composure as much as his technique on the ball.

With professional soccer recruitment evolving rapidly, there are more and more metrics to explore, namely those beyond points, goals, and tackles, which instead look at players’ mental characteristics. These are swiftly coming into play.

“Technology is improving a lot,” Campodonico adds. “Now you can monitor any moment during a player’s day and night. And before, during, and after a game. So, you can understand the stress levels before a penalty or a Champions League semifinal. Within clubs, there is a lot of information.

“When you consider a player’s mentality, algorithms can estimate this. There is a mix of pressurizing (the opponent), running, etc. These can measure the mentality of a player. The science arrives on top. People are already looking at these things.”

While scouring the soccer market, every quality matters. Just ask Atlético Madrid, benefitting from someone so good it signed him twice.