It seems that spending money to buy a star player is not their style in every transfer exchange. Diego Simeone released more star players than buying it, let's say Griezmann who was released to Barcelona even though Barca was their own competitor in La Liga and then bought it back from Barca after the price dropped. Seeing Atletico's style on the Tranfer Exchange is almost similar to the style of one of the Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund clubs who like to sell players to rival clubs Munchen.
For Atletico Madrid, it's not like they don't like to, or want to sing big players, it's just that they can't afford them.
The regulations of La Liga are too strict that's why clubs from the league find it difficult to sign players.
You can see mid-table teams in the EPL making big money signings but teams in La Liga can't do it. Barcelona is even barely managing because they are a big club and players are willing to take a pay cut to play there. Somehow Madrid is the only La Liga team not too affected by the regulations.
Spanish teams sell their big players because they can't afford to pay them and secondly, because they need the money.
The current La Liga president is shocking the teams and I wonder how he doesn't see it. He even refused to pay just 3 million euros for goal-line technology. The league has deteriorated under his leadership.
The presidential elections are in December, I hope he loses and the league get a better person to manage the affairs of the league.