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Barcelona and Real Madrid have been household names in world football for decades, and Atletico Madrid have recently joined the elite few renowned clubs thanks to their recent success. It’s no exaggeration to say that the majority of La Liga’s best talent has congregated at these three clubs.
Yet, the league has so much more to offer than just three excellent teams. The talent must start somewhere, and there are few clubs in world football as proficient at spotting talent early and then flipping them for profit than Spanish clubs.
With a much narrower disparity in finances, the competition in La Liga can be just as fierce as it is anywhere else. Advantage can only be gained by honing their ability to spot talent and value in a bloated transfer market.
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With the new La Liga season just days, here are just six great players who don't play for Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid to look out for.
#1 Ever Banega (Sevilla)
Banega has earned himself 65 caps for Argentina, and has been a familiar name in football circles for about a decade. However, for much of that decade he was better known for his mercurial performances and off-field immaturity that prevented his immense talent from manifesting consistently.
After emerging at Boca Juniors, Banega made the switch to Valencia. His early seasons under Unai Emery demonstrated plenty of promise, but not enough to earn a big move like his teammates Juan Mata, David Silva and David Villa. When Emery was sacked as manager, Banega’s form declined to the point he was shipped back to Argentina for a year. His career seemed to have hit a glass ceiling, capped off by running over his own leg with his car.
In 2014, Sevilla, managed by Emery, picked up the midfielder for a modest £2.25m. Banega would become the hub of a side that would go on to win two more Europa League trophies. He brought a touch a class to an otherwise physical and defensive midfield.
Now 30, Banega is still performing at a very high level. His ability to weave in and out pressure and pick a defence splitting pass is enchanting, and wouldn’t look out of place in the world’s best midfields. Combined with a competitive spirt and persistent attitude to defending, Banega can confidently call himself one of the league’s, if not the world’s, best midfielders.
He’s now set to continue his vital role in the heart of Sevilla’s midfield, having rejected a potential move to the Premier League this summer.
#2 Dani Parejo (Valencia)
Parejo is one of several players to be cast aside by a top club before working his way back to the top level.
A product of Real Madrid, the midfielder rose through the various youth levels before becoming a regular for their B team, Real Madrid Castilla. A loan spell to Queens Park Rangers in 2008 didn’t work out and was cut short halfway through the season, before he was sold to Getafe in the summer of 2009 for just under £3m.
Parejo impressed enough during his two years at Getafe to earn a move to Valencia. He’s been there ever since and now captains the club.
In many ways, Parejo is unfortunate to be a Spanish midfielder in a decade where Spain were inundated with fantastic midfield players. His lack of international appearances – just the one he received last March – is not indicative of his actual quality. As far as playmakers go, he’s one of the best outside of the league’s biggest clubs.
Always level-headed and composed in midfield, Parejo is the chief creator at Valencia, often being tasked with starting moves before moving up the pitch to deliver a final pass. He was a key figure in Marcelino’s rejuvenation of the side last season, showing impressive discipline to play in a two-man midfield.
His all-round midfield performances have earned him links to the big clubs, but at 29, it seems that ship has sailed. Nonetheless, he’ll remain a key part of a Valencia team aiming to make an impact in the Champions League for the first time in several years.
#3 Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo)
To most fans, Aspas will forever be remembered for his appalling corner kick during Liverpool’s infamous 2-0 defeat to Chelsea in 2014.
It’s a shame, because besides a couple of flops, Aspas has consistently been one of La Liga’s most prolific and dangerous centre forwards.
After emerging from Celta’s academy, Aspas made his mark in the first team during the 2011/12 season by scoring 23 goals on the way to promotion. His remarkable form earned him the adoration of the fans and granted him cult hero status.
A return of 12 goals in his first La Liga season earned him a move to Liverpool, but his single season with the club was notoriously bad. Without a single goal in 15 appearances, he returned to Spain with Sevilla.
While Sevilla were adept at extracting performances from struggling players, it never worked out for Aspas. Seven goals in five appearances in the Copa del Rey was certainly impressive, but he scored just twice in 16 league appearances. With such form, he was unable to beat out the prolific duo of Carlos Bacca and Kevin Gameiro.
It became apparent that Aspas needed to feel some love if he was ever to return to his best. A return to Celta Vigo was just what he needed.
Since returning to his hometown club, Aspas has netted 69 times in 126 appearances in all competitions, making him one of the most prolific Spanish forwards around. Fresh off 24 league goals last season, Aspas will continue to be a threat to the rest of the league.
#4 Rodrigo Moreno (Valencia)
Something of a late bloomer, Rodrigo is another player to leave Real Madrid at a young age and work his way up elsewhere. But unlike his teammate Dani Parejo, Rodrigo has always been marked as a wonderful talent – it just hasn’t shown itself until now.
It was while he was at Benfica that the forward showed what a prospect he was. 45 goals in 119 appearances was nothing to sneer at for a player with his peak years in front of him. Valencia duly splashed the cash – a reported £25m – to sign him in 2015.
Unfortunately, Valencia’s troubles under various coaches created the wrong environment for Rodrigo to show what he can truly do. 13 goals in two seasons was far from the return on investment expected.
Then, Marcelino arrived, and everything changed.
Rodrigo’s goalscoring improved overnight. 19 goals last season, his best individual season, was enough to get him into the Spain squad for the 2018 World Cup.
The left-footed forward will now be looking to repeat last season’s heroics and really establish himself as a top forward.
#5 Pablo Sarabia (Sevilla)
A promising talent of Madrid’s Castilla who tread the familiar path upwards via Getafe, it feels like Sarabia has been around forever.
The 26-year-old is about to enter his third season with Sevilla with a feeling that, under the right coach, he could improve further and fulfil the potential that made him so highly rated as a teenager at Madrid.
Able to play all across the midfield, Sarabia has found a home on the right flank. While not the quickest player, he compensates with clever movement in front and behind opposition defences.
Able to pick a pass, whip in a devilish cross and possessing a keen eye for goal, Sarabia has become one of La Liga’s most productive players.
He’ll be a key part of Sevilla’s team this season, not only as a goalscorer, but also as a creator.
