5 new signings to watch out for in La Liga (2021-22)

#3 Sergio Aguero

Among all signings, Aguero's return to La Liga after a decade was eagerly awaited

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.

Sergio Aguero will have to wait to make his Barcelona debut after it was confirmed a calf injury has ruled the striker out for 10 weeks.

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 9, 2021

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.

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#2 David Alaba (Real Madrid)

Alaba is another free signing to have landed in La Liga

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.

🗣️ David Alaba: "It was very positive to play my first Real Madrid game. The key is the team, I feel very much at home in it."#UCL pic.twitter.com/822zQ4BapP

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 9, 2021

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.

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#1 Memphis Depay (Barcelona)

Considering this year's signings, Depay is the most high-profile one

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.

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