'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Real Sociedad
Despite gaining access to European football by finishing fifth in La Liga last season, Real Sociedad had a very underwhelming summer transfer window. The Basque club, similar to Bilbao, regulated minimal business. However, the players that did sign on the dotted line for Sociedad are regarded as a step-back with respect to the club's pedigree.
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Continuing their trend of rotating their number 9, Los Txuri-Urdin sanctioned a second successive loan move for Willian Jose, exiling him to fellow La Liga side Real Betis. To replace the Brazilian veteran, Sociedad signed Alexander Sørloth on loan for a fee of €2m. While the erratic forward did experience a purple patch with Trabzonspor, he has been awfully silent in front of goal since signing for RB Leipzig in 2020.
Diego Rico and Mathew Ryan are the remaining transfers that Imanol Alguacil's side completed in the past three months. While both players were former Premier League regulars, they are clearly past their primes in the current scenario.
On top of that, Real Sociedad also loaned out a number of decent players that could've bolstered the squad's depth. With no marquee transfers and an upcoming season of continental football, the La Liga club will have a tough time considering the players at their disposal.
#2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid narrowly missed out on the top spot due to their last-minute acquisition of French prodigy Eduardo Camavinga. The highly sought-after midfielder finally secured a €31m transfer to his dream club on deadline day. But apart from Camavinga's brilliant signing, the 34-time La Liga champions proved to be toothless in the summer window.
With multiple outgoing transfers in every position, Real Madrid are left with a paper-thin squad ahead of the 2021-22 season. David Alaba is the only defensive signing completed by Los Blancos to compensate for the monumental loss of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos. Alvaro Odriozola's loan move to Fiorentina means that Carlo Ancelotti only has seven first-team players at his disposal to cover for four positions.
A long-term injury to any of their first-choice back-four could derail their season, causing massive ramifications. To assist their defensive predicament, Real Madrid's aging midfield and inconsistent attacking options can result in further disappointments. Having failed miserably in their pursuit of Kylian Mbappe, they also dwindled in shifting the deadweight upfront.
With Luka Jovic, Gareth Bale and Eden Hazard still on their books, the La Liga giants have truly experienced one of their worst transfer windows in recent history.
#1 Valencia
Arguably the worst-run club in La Liga, Valencia continue their journey on a downward trajectory under the inept leadership of Peter Lim. The Bats slumped to a 13th place finish last season after hiring youth team coach Voro in place of the more experienced Marcelino. Adding insult to injury, Valencia followed their abysmal transfer window of 2020 with another woeful showing in the market this summer.
Having lost integral players like Rodrigo, Ferran Torres and Dani Parejo for pennies last year, Los Murciélagos replicated that act again in this window. Only this time, they failed to recoup any kind of money from three outgoing transfers. While Kevin Gameiro swapped the Mestalla for his boyhood club Strasbourg, Korean talent Kang-in Lee joined RCD Mallorca instead of extending his contract with Valencia.
As if losing a promising academy prospect like Lee on a free transfer wasn't bad enough, the La Liga linchpins completed some lackluster signings to fill in for the departing players. Marcos Andre and Dimitri Foulquier joined for a combined fee of €11m to add to their striking and right-back positions respectively.
While the incoming players are not necessarily bad in terms of footballing abilities, their arrival signifies the mid-table mediocrity which the club is heading towards.
Valencia are in dire need of a long-term project to be established at the club. Instead, they are out there signing stop gates like Helder Costa on a one-year loan deal from Leeds United. A dreadful transfer window coupled with their worst La Liga finish in 33 years last season could signal their first relegation since 1986 if they don't act on it quickly.
Also read: 5 new signings to watch out for in La Liga (2021-22)
