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With the summer transfer window proceeding in full flow, La Liga has witnessed the completion of signings amounting to up to €249m till date.
The financial predicament caused due to the ongoing pandemic seems to have impacted the Spanish top-division the most. With a cumulative transfer sum of less than a quarter of a billion, La Liga ranks dead last among the top five European leagues in terms of summer business.
Unsurprisingly, the Premier League sits comfortably at the top, boasting a cash flow of over €1b. Nevertheless, some enticing signings have been fabricated by the Spanish clubs, in an attempt to reclaim their status as Europe's best.
In addition to new signings, La Liga also witnessed notable departures
2021 has been a bizarre year for the heavyweights in Spain. Lionel Messi was ousted from his home for 21 years after La Liga's strict financial regulations prevented Barcelona from re-signing their talisman.
In a similar scenario, their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, lost both of their first-choice center backs in a single transfer window. While a long-time servant, Sergio Ramos, departed the club due to contractual disputes, his counterpart Raphael Varane was lured into signing for Manchester United for a cut-price fee of €50m.
During this year's summer transfer window, clubs have moved into the final segment with one sole agenda: to solidify as many positions as they can in their teams. Even so, many La Liga squads have already started shaping up for next season, incorporating their new signings all the while adjusting to the loss of former stalwarts.
Keeping that thought afloat, here are 5 incoming signings in the Spanish top-tier who you should keep an eye on in 2021-22:
#5 Erik Lamela
One of the many signings made by Tottenham using the 'Gareth Bale money', Erik Lamela arrived at White Hart Lane as a 21-year-old prospect, brimming with uncharted potential. Fast forward eight years and the Argentine finds himself being used as a bargaining chip to acquire another 20-year-old winger with loads of potential.
Constant injury problems and a lack of consistency meant that Lamela could never find his footing in England. He was pushed further down the pecking order by the arrivals of Lucas Moura and Son Heung-min, who are now mainstays for Spurs. The Argentine winger was subsequently transferred to Sevilla this summer after 257 appearances for the club.
Nevertheless, Lamela has always shown a presence of flair in his game, whenever he has stepped on the pitch. The 29-year-old attacker arrives in La Liga with a huge point to prove and nominal room for error. With Sevilla, Lamela has been given one final chance to rediscover his best form, which made Spurs fork out €30m on him as one of their seven signings in 2013.
#4 Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid)
Commanding €35m amongst all the other low-cost signings this season, Rodrigo De Paul will be arriving in Madrid for a second spell in La Liga. The recently crowned Copa America champion spent two years at Valencia, making just 44 appearances during his first La Liga stint. He was subsequently loaned out to his boyhood team, Racing Club, on the orders of then-manager Gary Neville.
After failing to make his mark in La Liga, a transfer to Udinese revived the Argentinian's career. De Paul's form in Italy caught everyone's eye and he was eventually called up to represent his national team in 2018. Following a prolific 2018-19 season in Serie A, which saw the midfielder finish as Udinese's top scorer with nine goals and nine assists, De Paul was made club captain in 2020.
The creative playmaker carried Udinese to a respectable mid-table finish in each of his five seasons at the club. Hence his transfer to current La Liga champions Atletico Madrid is among the most deserved signings of 2021. It would be interesting to see how Diego Simeone brings the best out of the latest of his signings at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
Also read: 5 iconic Lionel Messi goal celebrations for Barcelona
#3 Sergio Aguero
Having joined La Liga giants Barcelona as one of their free signings, after 10 trophy-laden years at Manchester City, Sergio Aguero arrives in Catalonia with many expectations. The Argentine was left in tears towards the end of his last match as a Cityzen when the Sky Blues lost 0-1 to Chelsea in the 2020-21 Champions League final.
Rumors have already started surfacing of Aguero's apparent desire to leave the Camp Nou following the departure of Lionel Messi. The 33-year-old forward has always spoken candidly about his lifelong dream of playing alongside his compatriot at club level.
Understandably, the Argentine feels betrayed by the La Liga giants and is reportedly looking for the exit door even before making a single appearance for Barcelona.
Despite all the controversies surrounding Aguero, his return to La Liga has been a much-awaited event. The prolific striker was sensational during his time with Atletico Madrid. It will be interesting to see how the veteran forward is used by current Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman, taking into consideration the arrival of the new signings.
#2 David Alaba (Real Madrid)
David Alaba possesses the pedigree to top any list he features in. The sturdy Austrian was recently bought by Real Madrid, adding to this year's trend of free signings, after spending a decade in Bavaria.
With Bayern Munich, Alaba got his hands on a whopping 27 pieces of silverware. He was at the center of two treble-winning Bayern sides, providing adept defensive stability throughout his career in Germany.
Capable of playing in both the left and central positions of defense, Alaba is a much-needed addition to the Los Blancos' side. With the combined departure of Ramos and Varane, the 29-year-old versatile defender is effectively the senior-most centre-back at the Santiago Bernabeu.
A reported annual salary of €12m is what the Austrian will earn during the course of his current five-year contract. With Real Madrid looking to reclaim the La Liga title, Alaba's contribution in this financially crippled era will be crucial to his employers.
#1 Memphis Depay (Barcelona)
Memphis Depay is fresh off a brilliant season with Olympique Lyon, where the versatile forward scored 20 and produced another 12 league goals. The Dutch number 10 had a sensational run, almost single-handedly guiding the French side to Champions League qualification after experiencing a huge slump in the 2019-20 season.
Barcelona, tempted by Depay's mercurial talent, jumped on the chance to get him as another of the club's free signings. After much speculation, the 27-year-old forward landed in Catalonia, signing a two-year deal with the La Liga giants. He has since gone on to impress in the Blaugrana's pre-season, scoring three goals.
Although the 26-time Spanish champions are yet to register him as one of their signings for the new season, Depay is already one of the best attackers in La Liga. With the flamboyant athlete in the prime of his career, getting him as one of their free signings could prove to be an astute piece of business done by Barcelona.
Also read: Firsts and lasts for Lionel Messi at Barcelona
