20 breakout stars
Rodrigo De Paul
(Atletico Madrid)
These past few weeks, the gods most definitely have been on the side of the outstanding 27-year-old Argentina midfielder who, besides featuring in his country’s triumph at the 2021 Copa America, also celebrated the birth of his second child and competed a dream €35 million move from Udinese to Atletico.
After five strong seasons with Udinese, it was surprising that none of the big Italian teams made a concerted effort to bring him on board. Not that Atleti will be complaining; the Argentine should improve the Spanish champions from top to bottom in the engine room. He has the widest of skill-sets: creative, incisive in his passing, superb as a driving ball-carrier and full of energy and commitment. Just the sort of indefatigable all-rounder that Atletico coach diego Simeone likes to go to war with.
de Paul will be on something of a revenge mission in the Spanish capital. In a previous spell in La Liga with Valencia (2014-2016), he was for the most part used as a substitute,
