Atlético worked during the last weeks of the transfer market to find an outlet for Héctor Herrera that would allow Torreira to register. The Mexican had not had a good first year as rojiblanco and to be able to make the Uruguayan official, it was necessary to leave a player from the squad, where Lemar was also in the market.
But ultimately it was Thomas, in a last minute script change, who left the squad. Arsenal paid the 50 million of the Ghanaian clause on the last market day and left the rojiblanco team without its starting pivot. Although his unilateral contract termination offered the club an extra month to sign a player, with Kondogbia as the player chosen in case an agreement can be reached with ValenciaFor the moment, Simeone continues to pull those he has on his staff.
A squad where Saúl has missed the last three consecutive games due to annoyances and Cholo has had to start giving chevrons to Torreira … and Herrera. And it is that the Mexican has returned to count on opportunities, and more after the inconvenience suffered by the charrúa in Balaídos and for the moment he is responding with more than enough. With Koke as fixed on the double pivot, something that brings more fluidity and clean output to the team, but also the need for a footballer to work on the recovery from behind when the captain comes out under pressure, Herrera has put on his overalls.
Despite the win at the Allianz Arena, where Bayern ended up running over the rival again as usual in the Germans' games (4-0), the Mexican had a very consistent start to the game. Something that led Simeone to highlight him at the end of the game as one of the good news that he took from the game despite the defeat. Against Betis, Herrera returned to the bench, but his entry into the break coincided with the notable improvement of the team to end up winning 2-0. A second goal that Suárez got in discount, but it was about to come from the midfielder with a fantastic shot from outside the area that crashed into the post before Bravo's eyes.
In the match against the Verdiblancos he completed 21 passes of the 24 he tried (87.5% correct) and he more than fulfilled the mission of exercising as a pivot, recovering five balls, the second most of the team after Hermoso (9) despite playing only 45 minutes. A facet where, against Bayern with 7, he had been the best of the team together with Llorente. Without Thomas, and the addition of Saúl's withdrawal, Atlético has been orphaned in the engine room of a player who recovers and starts the game from behind. Herrera seems determined to step forward and if his first season at the club was not his, he hopes to evolve in the second, albeit in a more defensive version acting as the closing of the midfield behind Koke.