Every summer, transfers occur that are somewhat surprising, and in the window that has just passed, Kieran Trippier was involved in one of those unexpected moves.
The English full-back is now 28 years-old, and he played his entire career in his home country up until his latest transfer, with Atletico Madrid securing his services from Spurs for a fee in the region of £20m.
Throughout his time in the Premier League, particularly under Mauricio Pochettino , Trippier demonstrated an offensive quality going forward that he couldn't quite match on the defensive side of the game.
The Englishman has always showcased a proficiency when tasked with crossing or delivering set-pieces into a penalty box, but when required to defend, it's reasonable to suggest he's had his limitations.
Considering that make-up, his move to arguably the most elite defensive team in Europe appeared quite shocking.
However, Trippier's early showings in Spain have been extremely productive, and they may have assisted with his credentials regarding staking a claim to start for England under Gareth Southgate.
Crucially, the way in which Diego Simeone has used the 28 year-old full-back has been notable, as he's appreciated his attacking traits and harvested them in an efficient manner so far.
Atletico have posted the best defensive record in La Liga for the past four years in a row, having conceded only 29 last season, which was six better than second-placed Valencia on 35.
In addition to their goals conceded record being strong, Simeone's team also consistently post solid underlying numbers that justify the amount they tend to concede.
Atletico tend to post low figures in terms of Expected Goals Against (xGA), and the shots that they allow on their goal on average tend to be low quality and difficult to score.
In the summer, though, the club underwent an overhaul, with key figures Rodri, Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez and Antoine Griezmann departing for new challenges. The latter in particular was crucial to the way in which Simeone's team attacked.
Atletico, while boasting an unshakable defence, have always had a fairly limited attack under Simeone. The team get results, but they do so by scoring less than most elite teams.
Last season, for example, Atletico scored only 55 goals, which placed them fifth in the division. Incredibly, they also finished 15th for Expected Goals (xG), and 11th for shots taken.
Simeone's team have demonstrated an ability to thrive while having very few attacking outlets. With plenty of their stars being sold this summer, Trippier has arrived as a new means of attacking, while also improving his defensive game.
So far, Simeone seems to have used Trippier's technical ability as a vehicle to travel up the field, as well as entering the penalty box.
Three matches have been played in La Liga so far, with seven players starting every one of those for Simeone. Those players are Trippier, Koke, Joao Felix, Jan Oblak, Saul, Thomas Lemar and Jose Gimenez.
Based on that group of players, only Koke is averaging more through passes per 90 minutes than Trippier, with the English defender posting the most progressive passes. In addition, he's also posting the most long passes, and the best creative numbers in regard to Expected Assists (xA).
xA offers an insight into the likelihood of a chance being scored by considering aspects such as difficulty and location, and it tends to provide an accurate summary of whether a player deserved an assist or not, regardless of whether the chance was scored.
Trippier's xA per 90 is higher than any other player from the aforementioned group after three matches, with him assisting at least one shot in all every fixture so far despite playing as a right-back more often than not.
An example of the way in which Trippier has been used is pictured above, with the defender progressing into the opponent's half, before playing the final ball in a move that should lead to a shot being taken.
Ultimately, Trippier's recent career development is very interesting. Rather than his flaws without possession being avoided by an elite defensive team, Atletico instead seem to have embraced his offensive qualities, with a view to improving his defending along the way.
It's early days, but because of how Simeone is using Trippier, it's reasonable to suggest that his move to Madrid may be more prosperous than many had anticipated.
