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#7 Villarreal | €271.53m
After an impressive fifth-place finish in LaLiga, Villarreal are definitely one of the most exciting clubs to watch out for after a flying start to the transfer window. The change at the helm is also a notable one as former Arsenal manager Unai Emery replaced Javier Calleja ahead of the 2020/21 season.
The Yellow Submarine won the race for the loan signing of exciting Los Blancos prospect Takefusa Kubo after a superb spell at Mallorca in 2019/20. Additionally, they have capitalised on the current predicament that rivals Valencia find themselves in as they snatched Francis Coquelin and Los Che skipper Dani Parejo from them for less than €10m. Emery's side are reportedly also trying to lure Gabriel Paulista to the club as well.
After such a strong transfer window and with Villarreal set to play European football under a manager as experienced as the former Gunners and Sevilla coach, they could be in for an exciting season ahead on all fronts.
#6 Sevilla | €318.00m
One of the most illustrious Spanish clubs in recent times, Sevilla have enjoyed immense success in the second tier of European football over the last decade. Los Palanganas won a staggering four UELs since 2010, three of which were masterminded by new Villarreal manager Unai Emery.
They lifted their fourth UEL trophy less than a week ago in Germany after Julen Lopetegui's impressive unit overcame Antonio Conte's rugged Inter Milan side. The Europa title capped off what has been a genuinely sublime season for Sevilla, accumulating 11 points more than they did with their sixth-place finish in 2018/19. Lopetegui's men finished fourth this year, level on points with Atletico Madrid at 70 apiece.
A lot of Sevilla's players have garnered interest from many European clubs after their scintillating displays this year, including Lucas Ocampos, Jules Kounde, Diego Carlos, and on-loan Real Madrid star Sergio Reguilon. It remains to be seen how many of their crown jewels they can keep, but should they manage to keep them all, Sevilla could be in for a superb 2020/21 campaign.
#5 Real Sociedad | €327.10m
After missing out on European football in 2018/19, Real Sociedad clawed their way back into the UEL spots this year with a sixth-place finish in LaLiga Santander. La Real have been blessed with a group of superbly talented players, including the likes of Alexander Isak, skipper Mikel Oyarzabal, Adnan Januzaj, and many others. The recently-departed Martin Odegaard also impressed profoundly during his loan spell, before being recalled by Real Madrid.
Sociedad were in a heated contest for the European spots with Villarreal and Getafe, and while the former made it to the promised land, Getafe suffered an eighth-place finish despite being in contention for the UEL. Sociedad ended their campaign with 56 points, two more than the Azulones and level with Granada, albeit with a +1 goal difference.
With a host of experienced heads in the squad such as their LaLiga top-scorer Willian Jose, Nacho Monreal, and other veterans along with young and exciting talents, La Real could expect to have a strong UEL campaign in 2020/21.
#4 Valencia | €328.38m
After a superb fourth-place finish in 2018/19, Valencia are one of the most troubled LaLiga Santander clubs at the moment ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. Los Che have reportedly been struck terribly by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to which they've had to host a fire sale at the Mestalla.
Their unfortunate financial circumstances have seen them part ways with some high-profile names including Ferran Torres, Francis Coquelin, and club captain Dani Parejo — who was in tears upon his unveiling at Villarreal due to his inauspicious exit from Valencia. Ezequiel Garay has also become a free agent after his contract expired. Los Che progressed from the UCL group stages this year, but they were humiliated by an aggregate scoreline of 8-4 against Atalanta.
After already losing out on a number of their star players, Valencia's future heading into the 2020/21 season will be defined by how they manage to replace them this transfer window. Regardless, Los Che still maintain their status as the fourth-most valuable club in LaLiga.
Also read: 5 Most baffling transfers conducted by Barcelona
