It was a season salvaged at the death for Atletico, as Quique Sanches Flores’ side overturned their stuttering form to finish fifth in La Liga.

At the turn of the year, Atletico had recorded just two wins in 11 outings and were rapidly looking a shoe-in for mid-table obscurity. A late run secured a place in Europe next term, but it’s come at a cost, as two key players are set to leave the Vicente Calderon this summer.

Sergio Aguero revealed last month he is seeking a move away from Atletico and the possible departure of the Argentine will provide an unwelcome distraction to Gregorio Manzano’s pre-season preparations.

By far, the 22-year-old was Atletico’s standout performer last campaign. Scoring 26 goals in 40 games, the forward led the line well and acted as a safety net for the poor performances of Diego Forlan.

The Uruguayan, in contrast, found the net 10 times throughout his 41 appearances last term and his languid displays were a shadow of his World Cup performances in South Africa alongside Luis Suarez.

But Aguero and Forlan combined contributed to just over 45% of Atletico’s league goals last season and the potential departure of both this summer will rock the Madrid club and the prospect of challenge for a Champions League place now seems unlikely.

Between them, the South American duo contributed to seven assists last season, which equalled Jose Antonio Reyes, who set up the most goals out of anyone in the Atletico side. Aguero was also the club’s highest-rated player last season by some margin with a Whoscore.com average of 7.75 – to put that in context, next was Reyes at 7.32.

Forlan and Aguero were also near the top of the club’s charts for the amount of key passes per game. Aguero recorded an average of 1.22, while Forlan’s 0.97, both bettering every player in Atletico’s midfield bar Reyes.

Should both depart this summer, the club will be left with a single striker in Diego Costa. The Brazilian made just 13 league starts last term but he managed six goals, three of which came in an enthralling victory away to Osasuna in April.

The 22-year-old still has time to develop and his count of 0.8 shots per game signifies he still has to work on his positioning when attacking chances are created, while his average of 0.43 key passes per game, with an accuracy of just 7.2%, shows his link-up play with both midfielders and his fellow strikers also needs to be improved.

Manzano now has the task of bringing in at least two strikers to fill the potential void left by Aguero and Forlan. Costa’s performances were erratic last term and any responsibility placed on the Brazilian will require patience in order to see results.