La Liga transfer news: Valencia hunt Frenchman, Atletico seek Brazilian star and more - 14th April 2018

The La Liga season enters Round 32 with some very tasty matches on the horizon for fans to savour.

After a humiliating exit at the hands of AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League, league leaders FC Barcelona will look to keep its unbeaten streak in the league as it faces a resilient Valencia side. Real Madrid will visit bottom-placed Malaga while in another very tasty game at the Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan, Sevilla who were also knocked out of the UCL this week face an inconsistent Villarreal side.

Here are some of the latest transfer stories as it concerns La Liga teams:

---

#5 Valencia

Valencia want the highly rated Frenchman

With 4th place and automatic qualification for the group stages of next season's UCL almost certain, the new-look (and more serious) Los Che board alongside manager Marcelino Toral have already begun to make plans for next season.

OGC Nice's yet-uncapped French forward Alassane Plea is said to be high on the Spanish side's radar as competition/support for main striker Rodrigo Moreno.

According to Marca, the 25-year-old is aware of Valencia's interest but is fully focused on helping his team qualify for next season's Europa League and will make a decision on his future in early May.

He has scored 13 goals for the French Riviera side this season and will not come cheap.

#4 Villarreal

Castillejo may be the next Spanish starlet to be poached from the Yellow Submarine

After losing talented midfielder Rodri who will join Atletico Madrid next season for €20m, El Submarino Amarillo (The Yellow Submarine) may lose another of their talented Spanish youngsters as reports have it that AC Milan are keen on signing left-footed winger Samu Castillejo.

According to Marca, the Rossoneri are concerned about Liverpool's pursuit of ex-Red Suso and should Jurgen Klopp's side make a good enough bid, the Milanese will turn to the 23-year-old ex-Malaga star.

Villarreal is also said to be in the race for 24-year-old Ivorian central defender Wilfred Kanon who plays for Eredivisie side Ado Den Haag.

The team is hoping that their previous experience with Kanon's countryman Eric Bailly will convince the defender that the Estadio de la Ceramica will offer him a better chance at stardom.

The deal could cost Villarreal a cut-price sum of £2m.

#3 Atletico Madrid

Oblak is a wanted man and Atleti will be desperate to keep him

Following the team's qualification for the Europa League semi-finals where it will face English side Arsenal, midfielder Koke has urged the club to give Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak a blank cheque to ensure he is not tempted away.

The 24-year-old goalie has been world-class since he joined in a €16m deal from Rio Ave in 2014 and with some of Europe's top sides looking to pounce for his services, the 26-year-old Koke is urging the board to do all it can to keep the giant goalie.

Speaking to Spanish radio programme "El Larguero", the Spanish international said:

Jan has got us used to him playing great games, if I was in charge of this club I would give him a blank cheque [to stay]

Los Rojiblancos have been linked with a sensational move for Liverpool's dynamic Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino as rumours emerged linking the Reds to Juventus' jewel Paulo Dybala.

According to Spanish website El Gol Digital, Jurgen Klopp wants the Argentine maestro and as such Atleti could move for the Brazilian who may become surplus to the requirement if the deal goes through.

#2 FC Barcelona

The high-flying

Spanish starlet is a wanted man

Following the loss to AS Roma in the UCL, Barca is said to be ready to begin planning for the new season by piping Athletic Club de Bilbao to the signing of highly rated Spanish right-back Álvaro Odriozola.

According to Spanish sports website, El Gol Digital, The Basque side flush with cash from the January sale of Aymeric Laporte to Manchester City are said to have targetted the 22-year-old as one of the quality players of Basque descent who could add to the team while dealing a second successive blow to local rivals Real Sociedad; Odriozola's current team (after the January poaching of centre-back Inigo Martinez).

The right-back who is in contention for a place at the World Cup following another scintillating season is said to have a €40m release clause and is wanted by Ernesto Valverde as direct competition for Portuguese full-back Nelson Semedo.

#1 Real Madrid

The giant Pole's future will dominate transfer news in the summer

Despite making it to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the 5th consecutive season, club supremo Florentino Pérez and manager Zinedine Zidane are already making plans for an overhaul next season, the likes of which have not been seen at the Santiago Bernabeu in years.

23-year-old Argentine central midfielder Leonardo Paredes is said to be on the team's radar as he has continued to develop and a move could e made after the World Cup. It is unclear who he is meant to replace but one thing which is almost certain is that he will not come cheap as Zenit-St Petersburg paid AS Roma an initial €23m for his services just last summer.

Following the club's pairing with Bayern Munich for the umpteenth time in this season's UCL semi-finals, Pini Zahavi, who is the agent for Bayern marksman Robert Lewandowski has not ruled out a move to the Bernabeu for his client.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, the 74-year-old Israeli super-agent was quoted as saying:

Robert’s transfer is a difficult and delicate operation. Nobody can say whether Lewandowski will be here or there. Nothing has been decided yet.

Bayern Munich has continued to insist that they are not interested but it remains to be seen which way the deal will swing.