When Nicolas Gaitan revealed that the Taca da Liga final against Maritimo which Benfica won was going to be his last game for Benfica, many people thought he was moving to the Premiership as he has always been linked with either Manchester United or Manchester City for some years now. The midfielder had earlier told TVI this after the final, "Crying is a normal feeling when you win with this club . I have been at this club for many years and there a lot of emotions . I admit that I did not want to come to Benfica. I wanted go stay in Argentina, but they (Benfica) have treated me very well here.

"I don't want to say where, but I'm very close to leaving. I think this was my last game," he concluded. It was surprising however to find out that it was Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid that had signed him for €25 million .

Gaitan is in his prime considering his age and form. The Argentine made his name in his home land with Boca Juniors before joining Benfica for €8.4 million in 2010 as a replacement for Real Madrid bound Angel Di Maria . Gaitan had played two seasons in Boca scoring 12 goals in 66 games. When he joined the Portuguese capital club, he became the second most expensive signing of the club behind Paraguayan forward Oscar Cardozo (€11.6 million). Gaitan will be joining Atletico with the spirit of a champion after winning 10 trophies in his six years at the club ( One Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, five Taca da Liga, one Taca da Portugal and three Primeira Liga).

Though it is difficult to see how he will improve Atletico with the sublime forms of Saul, Koke, Griezmann and Carrasco, it is important to note that the Argentine is a step above the wide players at Atletico considering present form. Gaitan can play in a variety of positions which includes left forward in a 4-3-3 formation with Griezmann on the right joining the centre forward who might be Fernando Torres or Borja Baston who has returned to the club after a successful loan in Eibar. This will allow the likes of Koke, Fernando Augusto and Gabi play slightly behind the trio in midfield, while Saul and Carrasco (who has been brilliant but still inconsistent) are used as impact substitutes. The player can also play in the left forward position in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Griezmann operating on the right and as a second striker utilising his pace and finishing in the penalty box.

The Argentine's greatest strengths are his ability to combine his versatility and tactical understanding, crossing, key passes and long range shots. He will however have to improve on his passing accuracy and
defensive contribution as this may count against him in the Spanish capital which is a major trait of Diego Simeone's team. Last season, the winger scored four goals in 25 Liga Sagres games, with a 2.6 shots per game, 65.8% passing accuracy and 0.5 successful duels per game. He fared better in the Champions League as he scored four goals and provided three assists in 8 games as Benfica went all the way to the quarter-final before losing to Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. All together , Gaitan scored 25 goals in 152 Liga Sagres games for Benfica in six years.

Though his stat is not mind blowing, it is unfair to rely entirely on that to judge the midfielder as his impact isn't necessarily based on stats. With Gaitan in the squad, Atletico need a firing centre-forward to announce themselves on the world scene and win trophies next Is Nicolas Osvaldo Fabian Gaitan What Atletico Madrid Really Need ?

When Nicolas Gaitan revealed that the Taca da Liga final against Maritimo which Benfica won was going to be his last game for Benfica, many people thought he was moving to the Premiership as he has always been linked with either Manchester United or Manchester City for some years now. The midfielder had earlier told TVI this after the final, "Crying is a normal feeling when you win with this club . I have been at this club for many years and there a lot of emotions . I admit that I did not want to come to Benfica. I wanted go stay in Argentina, but they (Benfica) have treated me very well here.

"I don't want to say where, but I'm very close to leaving. I think this was my last game," he concluded. It was surprising however to find out that it was Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid that had signed him for €25 million .

Gaitan is in his prime considering his age and form. The Argentine made his name in his home land with Boca Juniors before joining Benfica for €8.4 million in 2010 as a replacement for Real Madrid bound Angel Di Maria . Gaitan had played two seasons in Boca scoring 12 goals in 66 games. When he joined the Portuguese capital club, he became the second most expensive signing of the club behind Paraguayan forward Oscar Cardozo (€11.6 million). Gaitan will be joining Atletico with the spirit of a champion after winning 10 trophies in his six years at the club ( One Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, five Taca da Liga, one Taca da Portugal and three Primeira Liga).

Though it is difficult to see how he will improve Atletico with the sublime forms of Saul, Koke, Griezmann and Carrasco, it is important to note that the Argentine is a step above the wide players at Atletico considering present form. Gaitan can play in a variety of positions which includes left forward in a 4-3-3 formation with Griezmann on the right joining the centre forward who might be Fernando Torres or Borja Baston who has returned to the club after a successful loan in Eibar. This will allow the likes of Koke, Fernando Augusto and Gabi play slightly behind the trio in midfield, while Saul and Carrasco (who has been brilliant but still inconsistent) are used as impact substitutes. The player can also play in the left forward position in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Griezmann operating on the right and as a second striker utilising his pace and finishing in the penalty box.

The Argentine's greatest strengths are his ability to combine his versatility and tactical understanding, crossing, key passes and long range shots. He will however have to improve on his passing accuracy and
defensive contribution as this may count against him in the Spanish capital which is a major trait of Diego Simeone's team. Last season, the winger scored four goals in 25 Liga Sagres games, with a 2.6 shots per game, 65.8% passing accuracy and 0.5 successful duels per game. He fared better in the Champions League as he scored four goals and provided three assists in 8 games as Benfica went all the way to the quarter-final before losing to Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich. All together , Gaitan scored 25 goals in 152 Liga Sagres games for Benfica in six years.

Though his stat is not mind blowing, it is unfair to rely entirely on that to judge the midfielder as his impact isn't necessarily based on stats. With Gaitan in the squad, Atletico need a firing centre-forward to announce themselves on the world scene and win trophies next season .


Source

http://mailtelegraph..com/2016/06/is-nicholas-osvaldo-fabian-gaitan-what.html