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Although the Premier League summer transfer window has closed, the summer in Spain is open and the Spanish clubs have been very busy this summer. That being said, they are far from done.
Real Madrid lost Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, and they have an uphill task to replace the talismanic Portuguese. Barcelona also lost a key member of their squad this summer as Andres Iniesta joined Japanese side, Vissel Kobe.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are not the only La Liga clubs who have been busy this summer. Atletico Madrid have had a terrific summer as they’ve signed some outstanding young players.
Other clubs like Valencia, Villarreal and Sevilla have also done some notable business this summer. All the new faces give enough reason to be excited for the upcoming season, and we’ve picked out five new entrants into La Liga to watch out for this season.
#5 Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)
Thomas Lemar was a transfer target for several clubs including Arsenal and Liverpool, but it was Atletico Madrid who snapped up the Frenchman.
Lemar was one of the standout performers for Monaco in the 2016-17 season when he scored 9 goals and assisted 10 more in the league alone. Despite most of his teammates jumping ship last summer, Lemar stayed put for another season.
Atletico Madrid snapped him up for €60 million, making him the most expensive signing ever by the Spanish club.
Los Colchoneros lacked natural wide players in the squad, signing Lemar addressed a key area of concern. His pace and crossing ability should bring more goals to the Atletico Madrid side as he can feed the likes of Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann.
#4 Arthur Melo (Barcelona)
Barcelona seems to have taken a liking for Brazilian players recently, as they’ve followed up the signing of Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho last season with the arrival of Malcom and Arthur Melo this summer.
Barcelona announced in March that they reached an agreement with Gremio for the transfer of Arthur for €31 million plus €9 million in added variables. In July, he was officially announced as a Barcelona player.
The diminutive Brazilian is renowned for his passing ability, and there will be immense pressure on his shoulders to replace the outgoing Andres Iniesta.
Arthur impressed in preseason, and earned a starting spot for the 2018 Spanish Super Cup against Sevilla which his side eventually won 2-1.
Given the long season Barcelona have in front of them, we will have plenty of opportunities to witness the 22 year old Brazilian in action.
#3 Michy Batshuayi (Valencia)
Michy Batshuayi could prove to be an exciting player to watch this season, given how well he performed while he was on loan at Dortmund.
The Chelsea man hasn’t got a lot of opportunities to shine at his parent club so far, given he faced competition from the likes of Diego Costa, Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud.
Batshuayi spent the second half of last season on loan at Dortmund, and ended his short spell in the Bundesliga with 9 goals in 14 games. Although there were rumours of potential suitors for him, Chelsea still believe there is a future for the 24 year old at the club. This explains why they’ve only loaned him out.
Valencia’s style of play helps their forwards score plenty of goals, and the fact that Rodrigo Moreno, Santi Mina and Simone Zaza scored 19, 15 and 13 goals respectively, shows that plenty of goals can be expected of Batshuayi this season.
All stats via transfermarkt
#2 Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
Vinicius Jr. has made a lot of headlines even before he has kicked the ball for Real Madrid because of the €46 million they paid for him about a year ago.
The 18 year old is known for his pace, trickery and dribbling skills which have drawn comparisons with Neymar. This alone gives us enough reason to be excited about the teenage sensation.
The versatile forward scored 14 goals in 69 games for Flamengo, and has scored 17 goals in 19 games for Brazil at U17 level already.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo leaves a gaping hole in the Real Madrid attack. It would be impossible for a single player to compensate for the number of goals he scored, so that responsibility will be split between the current crop of forwards - including Vinicius.
Many believe Vinicius is one for the future, but Marcelo has stated that he is also one for the present.
“He is the present of Real Madrid, he is on our team. I was 18 when I arrived and Sergio Ramos was 19. He [Vinicius] is a young boy and we want to make him feel at ease and help him. He is the present and future of the club.”
#1 Arturo Vidal (Barcelona)
A few years ago, the transfer of a player of Arturo Vidal's mould to Barcelona was unforeseeable, but given that they signed Paulinho out of the blue last summer, Vidal’s transfer was not a huge surprise, but it was one nevertheless.
The 31 year old midfielder rose to fame during his time with Juventus, and then shined in midfield for Bayern Munich for three years, before making his switch to Barcelona.
Vidal has proven himself to be one of the best box to box midfielders in the world with two of Europe’s biggest clubs, and in two different leagues. With Barcelona in La Liga, Vidal has the opportunity to win an eighth straight league title with another European giant - in another one of Europe's top leagues.
The combative player brings qualities to the Barcelona midfield that none of their recent midfielders have possessed. It would be intriguing to see how he fits in the Barcelona squad, and the difference he brings to it this season.
