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#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)
