The high turnover of players at the Vicente Calderon means every summer is important for Atletico Madrid. With the La Liga title win and Champions League final appearance last season raising expectations, getting it right this year was particularly crucial for the club. Mario Mandzukic, Antoine Griezmann and Alessio Cerci were all significant investments made in an effort to maintain the momentum, yet before any of those forwards completed their moves, one striker should have already arrived.
Days after losing to Real Madrid in Lisbon, Atletico announced an agreement with San Lorenzo for Angel Correa, but just as he was poised to put pen to paper, disaster struck. A benign tumour discovered in the player's heart during the medical required surgery and rehabilitation, putting his transfer to Spain on hold. After seven months of uncertainty, Correa is now fully recovered, and Atletico can finally lay claim to the man touted as the heir to Sergio Aguero's throne at the club.
Correa might not yet be a household name in Europe, but Spanish sides have been linked with him for some time. Ole claimed last year that Juan Antonio Pizzi wanted to bring the striker to Valencia, having himself recently joined the La Liga side from San Lorenzo. It was Pizzi who gave Correa his senior debut at the Buenos Aires side in early 2013, and by the end of the year the forward had won the Torneo Inicial under his tutelage.
Yet instead of resuming that successful working relationship at the Mestalla, the player opted to stay in Argentina until the summer. A Copa Libertadores winner's medal was the first reward for playing the waiting game, his own Atletico Madrid shirt the second.
"I have the same agent as Eduardo Salvio, and I used to ask him to send me Atletico shirts. It's a dream come true," he told Marca after touching down in Madrid.
Marca, like the other Spanish papers, quickly ran with the Aguero comparisons. It seems unfair to compare a still-green 19-year-old with a world-class striker who scored 101 goals for Atletico, but there are some notable similarities beyond their shared nationality.
Only two centimetres separate the players in terms of height, while Correa's stocky build matches his compatriot, who is surprisingly robust in person. Beyond the physical resemblance there are technical ones, too: The new Atleti signing's capacity to receive the ball on the half turn then quickly take himself away from assailants with an accurate touch is reminiscent of the kind of movement the Manchester City man has used to great effect throughout his career.
Like Aguero, he also dribbles with both feet, leading on either side and making it difficult for opponents to predict which way he will dart next. A combination of that good technique and a low centre of gravity helps Correa to shield the ball in congested areas, a particularly useful characteristic considering he tends to operate as a supporting striker in the thick of the action.
Whenever a player is hailed as the second coming of an icon, there is always a caveat, and when it comes to finishing, the comparisons with Aguero start to fall down. Finding the back of the net only 12 times in 61 appearances for San Lorenzo, Correa cannot be compared numerically to his compatriot, who managed 23 in 56 games for Independiente prior to his own move to Spain. The young forward has admitted he still has plenty to learn before he reaches the same level as Aguero, and Atletico will have to work hard on improving his efficiency in front of goal. What is certainly encouraging is the variety in his play in the final third; Correa is capable of finding the net from a range of distances, sometimes at the end of a mazy dribble and sometimes with a first-time shot in the area.
That kind of unpredictability could be particularly useful for the Colchoneros following the loss of Diego Costa. Prior to the Brazilian's peak, the Rojiblancos suffered from being too predictable in their attacking play, and now that he has moved on to Chelsea, there are signs of that same problem creeping in once more. As long as the La Liga champions continue to score at will from set-pieces they will still chalk up wins from tricky games, but in the long-term they will need more creativity. Correa's talent for turning sharply and catching defenders off-guard could be particularly useful against the increasing number of sides that look to sit deep and stifle Atletico.
That might be why Diego Simeone requested Correa's signing in the first place, and the coach has been aware of him for a while. In early 2013, when asked by Argentinean TV station TYC Sports who he would take from his homeland to the Vicente Calderon, Simeone instantly replied, "I like Correa from San Lorenzo." Back then, it seemed like an innocent comment, but in hindsight, the meticulous coach was probably plotting already.
Simeone might have to wait a while longer before unleashing his new weapon. Atletico have already fulfilled their La Liga quota of three non-EU players for the season. As things stand, Joao Miranda, Raul Jimenez and Jose Gimenez occupy those places, although the club hope the Brazilian will be granted dual nationality in January. That would allow Correa to be registered in the winter transfer window, but an alternative scenario is a loan move to help him acclimatise to Spanish football -- with Rayo Vallecano the most likely destination.
Those issues remain minor in comparison to what Correa has had to deal with to make it to the Vicente Calderon in the first place. With the health scare behind him, the forward can now focus on winning his new manager's favour. Perhaps he may even earn those comparisons to Aguero.