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With 280 deals amounting to up to €485m, La Liga had the most economical transfer window among the top five European leagues. Even so, the Spanish top-flight managed to be the hub for the most exciting transfers of the summer.
With the departures of veterans including Sergio Ramos, Raphael Varane, and the evergreen Lionel Messi, La Liga experienced a serious dip in quality. Nevertheless, some inspiring transfers were made by several top-tier clubs to balance the scales.
Notable incoming transfers of La Liga
Serial transfer market expenders Real Madrid and Barcelona were once again responsible for the most high-profile signings in La Liga.
While the Blaugrana signed the triad of Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia, and Memphis Depay on free transfers, Los Blancos brought David Alaba and Eduardo Camavinga to Spanish shores. Their noisy neighbors Atletico Madrid also indulged in some nifty business, acquiring Rodrigo de Paul and Matheus Cunha for a cut-price rate.
Another preeminent and last-minute inclusion in La Liga was that of Hector Bellerin, who joined Real Betis on a season-long loan from Arsenal. Sevilla initiated an exchange transfer with Tottenham Hotspur, which saw Erik Lamela and Bryan Gil swap their respective clubs. In an absolute shocker of a move, veteran striker Falcao returned to La Liga by joining minnows Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer.
With so many changes in personnel, Spanish clubs will be hoping to solidify their stature as soon as possible. As multiple teams were stripped of their star players, they responded by sanctioning some interesting deals as replacements. Ergo, half of the teams were left hanging out to dry, while the other half enjoyed a successful transferral phase.
Considering the latter, let's take a look at 5 La Liga clubs who had the best transfer window:
#5 Granada
Having won promotion to La Liga in 2019, Granada followed that season with a brilliant seventh-place finish at their first time of asking. A ninth position last year, coupled with a run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, truly announced their return to top-tier football.
However, they had to bid goodbye to Diego Martinez before the commencement of the 2021-22 season, the manager who led the Nazaríes to one of their most successful campaigns. Promising young coach Roberto Moreno was named his successor and brought with him a number of new transfers.
The 22-year-old goalkeeping prospect of Sporting CP, Luis Maximiano, joined for a nominal fee of €4.5m to replace the outgoing Rui Silva.
The Andalusian club also shipped off Roberto Soldado in favor of a more in-form Carlos Bacca. However, the crowning jewels of Granada's transfer window were Barcelona wunderkind Monchu and experienced left-back Sergio Escudero from Sevilla.
Throw in a couple of free transfers and the departure of some unnecessary deadweight, and you have one of the best windows experienced by a La Liga club this season.
#4 Real Betis
Real Betis have been knocking on the door of elite continental football for some time now, but have always fallen short in the final hour. Their purchase of Nabil Fekir in 2019 for a meager €19.75m was regarded as a major coup, with a number of top clubs chasing the Frenchman's signature.
Under the guidance of Manuel Pellegrini, the Seville-based club will be looking to better the Chilean's first season in charge by contesting for a UCL spot. They finished sixth in the 2020-21 La Liga season. Their quest will be bolstered by an above-average transfer window which saw Betis secure the loan signings of Hector Bellerin and Willian Jose. They also signed Rui Silva from the aforementioned Granada and made the transfer of the superb Juan Miranda permanent.
They also bought Fiorentina's seasoned centre-back, German Pezzella, to solidify their defense. Los Verdiblancos did lose Emerson Royal to Barcelona, having signed him on loan from the Catalans in the first place. He then moved to Tottenham Hotspur in the same transfer window.
Nevertheless, Bordeaux regular Youssouf Sabaly can prove to be a more than adept replacement. With a decent roster and a world-class manager, Real Betis will aim for a better showing in La Liga than in recent years.
Also read: 5 new signings to watch out for in La Liga (2021-22)
#3 Atletico Madrid
The reigning La Liga champions had started this transfer window quietly but ended up with a firm stance. Rodrigo de Paul, although a solid acquisition, was the only piece of business that Los Rojiblancos had conducted prior to August. However, towards the end of the month, Atletico completely turned the tables.
With the procurement of Matheus Cunha for €30m on a five-year contract, their attack looks downright scary. However, every other transfer activity was overshadowed when Antoine Griezmann's homecoming was made official by Atletico. The talismanic figure returned to the Wanda Metropolitano after spending two years with Barcelona. To make the deal even sweeter, the La Liga title-holders got their man on loan with an obligation to buy for just €40m.
Deadline day saw long-term servant Saul depart for Chelsea on a loan transfer, with an option to make the deal permanent. Aside from that, Atletico Madrid did not suffer any other casualties and instead got rid of a significant amount of deadwood. Their failure to secure any defensive cover in this window is the only reason for their lowly third-place finish on this list.
#2 Villarreal
After a surreal 2020-21 season under Unai Emery, which saw them win their first major silverware, Villarreal will enter this season brimming with confidence. The current Europa League holders had a tremendous summer transfer window, completing some of the most underrated signings in La Liga.
The Yellow Submarine completed the transfers of promising youngsters like Manu Morlanes and Boulaye Dia, the latter of whom scored 14 goals in Ligue 1 last season. Morlanes has been loaned to Espanyol for the 2021-22 season. Furthermore, they made Juan Foyth's loan deal from Tottenham permanent, for a nominal fee of €15m.
However, Villarreal's most significant signing was Bournemouth sensation Arnaut Danjuma for a whopping €23.5m.
While the young playmaker will bring some much-needed pace and energy to Estadio de la Cerámica, the La Liga mainstays also got a lot of unwanted players off their books. As many as nine squad members were sold while a further six were sent out on loan. With a balanced team, fans will have high hopes from Unai Emery on the domestic as well as the continental front.
#1 Sevilla
The clear winners of the transfer window just gone by, Sevilla maintained their impeccable record in the market with another haul of sensible signings. The Andalusian side, under Julen Lopetegui, have been transformed from top-six regulars to actual title contenders. Last season they finished in fourth place, just two points behind 26-time La Liga champions Barcelona.
Even though they lost the promising Bryan Gil to Spurs, Sevilla were able to recoup €25m from the transfer, with Erik Lamela also joining Los Nervionenses. Following that, the record six-time Europa League winners continued with their shrewd dealings, signing first-team players like Gonzalo Montiel and Thomas Delaney. Sevilla capped off a brilliant window by replacing Luuk de Jong with the prolific Rafa Mir.
They also shipped off another eight dispensable members of the squad, freeing up some much-needed space for incoming transfers. The La Liga stalwarts astutely replaced Aleix Vidal and Tomas Vaclik with Montiel and Marko Dmitrovic respectively.
With a further four players sent out on loan, Sevilla efficiently employed the necessary alterations to get their team ready for another prosperous La Liga and European campaign.
Also read: 5 new signings to watch out for in La Liga (2021-22)
