Diego Pablo Simeone will touch down in Madrid next week to kick-start Atlético's pre-season. This year, just like last year, 'El Cholo' will return to an over-sized squad.

Right now there are 30 players in Atlético's first-team squad, not to mention the minimum four signings which the club plans to make. As a consequence at least 10 players are surplus to requirements.

The Argentine manager made it clear before going on holiday that he will use the first days of pre-season training to tell his squad's fringe players that they should start looking for new clubs.

Strangely enough, three weeks later and not one of those players has left the club: Falcao's transfer to Monaco had been made official days earlier and it is common knowledge that Domingo Cisma's contract is up. That is it. So Simeone is going to have to have a word with a few of them.

The squad is currently made up of 18 first-team players, plus new arrivals Uruguayan Giménez and Brazilian Leo Baptistao, and the seven players returning from season-long loan deals: Joel, Cabrera, Sílvio, Rubén Pérez, Pizzi, Borja and Pedro, the last of whom does not have a first-team contract. Neither do Manquillo, Saúl and Óliver Torres, although all three can also consider themselves part of the squad when Simeone wants to utilise them.