In the summer of 2014 Real Madrid and Barcelona did battle over two major players. This publication has already visited the pros and cons of Neymar and Gareth Bale for their respective squads.

But making major purchases in 2014 did not stop either side from continuing its arms race a year later. Barcelona answered the bell by purchasing the enigmatic Luis Suarez from Liverpool while Real Madrid pounced on James Rodriguez after his World Cup rise to stardom.

Both players obviously came with questions. For Suarez the inquiries revolved around his ability to turn into a supporting player after being the star man in England. Everyone had seen Neymar struggle to adapt to Lionel Messi in 2013-14, and there were questions about whether a person like Suarez, who had questionable character, would be able to not only subjugate his style to fit one but two stars.

For Rodriguez the questions ran deeper. Was he even necessary to Real Madrid? Under the 4-3-3 structure that had led Real Madrid to the Champions League title in 2014 there was no room for a 10 behind the forward line. Rodriguez was at his best when playing behind the forwards in that "hole," and some wondered whether he would be able to adapt to playing in another role or whether his arrival and accommodation would upset the balance attained last season.

For Suarez things got off to a rocky start. He clearly upset the balance of the team, unable to play as a winger, thus limiting Messi and Neymar and creating an ineffective front line.

However, Messi opted for moving to the right, thus allowing Suarez his natural position in the middle and the team flourished. Flourished to the tune of 24 goals and 17 assists in all competitions, 21 of those goals and 11 of those assists have come in 2015 alone; for some perspective Ronaldo has 26 goals and 10 assists in 2015.

Alongside him, Neymar and Messi have also reached unprecedented heights, making the investment work exactly as originally intended.

For Rodriguez the road has been a bit more complex. He did not originally work on the team, sliding from the middle of the pitch to the wing, often becoming invisible. The team eventually found its stride and Rodriguez became more and more comfortable rotating in the midfield. He was pressing harder and playing more efficient defensively. He was also creating and scoring goals at a terrific rate.

It was working wonderfully until he got sidelined with an injury and his absence was sorely missed on the side. His return a few weeks back reignited the offense, but at that point it was too little too late.

His statistics are certainly nothing to overlook. He was the second best key passer in the entire Spanish League, he is fourth in Spain in assists with 12 and he is also 13 in Spain in goals scored with 12. Overall he has scored 16 goals and 14 assists for Real Madrid in 37 matches while being the team's premier playmaker. Most importantly, he is only 23 years old and should have room for further improvement.

At the moment the decision is quite easy. Suarez will win a trophy with Barcelona and maybe two more in 2014-15. But at 27, he might not have much more to offer in coming seasons and his decline could be rapid and painful.

Rodriguez was a bright spot in a frustrating season for Madrid, but even then the team will have a lot to look forward to.

It will be interesting to see how this narrative develops in coming years. In 2013-14, Bale was clearly the better buy over Neymar, but the roles have been reversed tremendously and Bale might not even be a member of Madrid when the season kicks off again in August. This set of summer purchases might not follow the same narrative, but the age differences could work in the same way.