The La Liga campaign ended with a flourish for Real Madrid, as Zinedine Zidane’s men lifted their first league trophy in five years, but there is no rest for the wicked. As soon as the campaign came to a close, the question of strengthening for next season has come to the fore.
Igniting the old flame
Los Blancos goalkeeper Keylor Navas was a vital piece of the puzzle in the first division’s final stretch, bouncing back after receiving considerable flak in the press, but a new goalkeeper is rumoured to be on Real Madrid’s shopping list. The old flame, David de Gea, has already received some early-season attention according to Marca.
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Barcelona have welcomed Ernesto Valverde to the helm after Luis Enrique signed off as Blaugrana boss after lifting the Copa del Rey recently. After a campaign without a recognised right-back in their squad, the former Athletic Bilbao coach has suggested that Sergi Roberto could be used in two positions again.
Hector Bellerin is widely seen as a transfer target to slot into Barca’s back four, with the likes of Mundo Deportivo and Sport suggesting that no deal could be worked out until Arsene Wenger’s managerial situation had been confirmed. Now it has, and there could be progress made.
Outs but no ins?
Atletico Madrid were told this week that their ban on registering new players has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which means that Diego Simeone won’t be able to field any new signings until January.
Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez, both linked with moves away from the capital club to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively, have since taken to social media to claim that they are all ready to stay put. Simeone may be able to keep the nucleus of his team together after all.
Alexandre Lacazette will be leaving Olympique Lyonnais this summer, but it remains to be seen if the Frenchman is prepared to wait six months without first-team football for Los Colchoneros in order to get the deal done. Sandro Ramirez from Malaga is another potential deal that has hit a roadblock.
Getting business done early
Villarreal managed to snatch a big fee for Alexandre Pato back in January, and their board have done it again by selling Mateo Musacchio to A.C. Milan for €18 million. Due to injury problems, the Argentine made just 23 league appearances last campaign, with a more consistent option required.
Daniele Bonera signed a one-year contract extension on his 36th birthday, but the Yellow Submarine need to sign another key centre-back to partner Victor Ruiz. Diego Reyes, who spent last season on loan from Porto at Espanyol, and ex-Granada defender Jeison Murillo are two names mentioned in the Spanish press.
Enes Unal has been confirmed as a new striking option for Villarreal, however. The Manchester City youngster arrives at La Ceramica after scoring 18 Eredivisie goals last season, for a rumoured fee of €14 million. His former club hold a buy-back clause of €20 million for the future.
Astute signings
Real Betis have moved quickly to secure Sergio Leon from relegated Osasuna, bringing the striker back to the club that is his home after activating his release clause. After netting 10 goals in LaLiga last campaign, a fee of between 2.5 and 3.5 million euros is a fantastic price to snap him up for.
Alaves relied on the loan market to enjoy a brilliant return to the top flight, but coach Mauricio Pellegrino has since departed, with the likes of Theo Hernandez, Marcos Llorente, Victor Camarasa and Deyverson needing to be replaced too. Young Red Bull Leipzig striker Ermeden Demirovic has been signed already, with Espanyol’s left-back Ruben Duarte confirmed as an astute signing at left back.
Emotional returns?
Marca believe that Real Madrid defender Diego Llorente is close to signing for Real Sociedad, after spending last season on loan at Malaga. After letting Mikel Gonzalez go this summer, Eusebio’s men need another option at centre-back for their Europa League campaign. Athletic Club will have to do battle with Napoli for Osasuna wide man Alex Berenguer, according to reports in Italy.
SuperDeporte ran a front page during the week highlighting Fiorentina midfielder Milan Badelj as a big target for Valencia, with the Serbian having just one year left on his contract. A central midfielder is on Los Che’s shopping list, but an asking price of €10 million is rather ambitious.
Nolito and Lucas Perez have both been linked with moves back to Spain after disappointing Premier League campaigns, with Celta Vigo’s president sharing in a press conference that three parties would need to be in agreement to bring the latter home from Man City. Perez’s agent, meanwhile, has been clear that his objective this summer is to secure an exit from Arsenal. Could they join Jesus Navas as a trio of Spaniards seeking refuge back in LaLiga?
