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La Liga has always been known for its free-flowing, attacking brand of football. The league has boasted some of the world's greatest forwards of all time. From the likes of Ronaldinho and Luis Figo to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, the league has been home to world superstars over the years.
Now, with Lionel Messi's departure, the league has lost a massive amount of star-power and is looking for its new flag-bearer to usher in the new generation. Some of the current crop of forwards have shown that they have the potential to become superstars of the future, while others are world-beaters in their own right.
Today's list will look at the five most valuable forwards currently plying their trade in La Liga. The players' values will take into consideration their performance, age, contract and injury history and not what their value is to their respective clubs. So, without further ado, here are the
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Top 5 most valuable La Liga forwards right now
Values provided by Football Transfers
#5 Antoine Griezmann (Barcelona) - €55.7 million
Easily the most established and experienced star on this list, Antoine Griezmann is already considered to be one of the best players in the world. The Frenchman has proven himself for both club and country and is currently the favorite to take over from Lionel Messi as the face of La Liga.
Griezmann was phenomenal for both Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, but had to take a backseat to Lionel Messi once he joined Barcelona. This saw his output in terms of goal contributions take a massive dip. However, even with a dip in performances, the Frenchman still remains one of the biggest superstars in La Liga today.
Griezmann finished the 2020-21 season with 20 goals and 12 assists across all competitions for Barcelona. The forward's excellent ability on the ball and smart positional sense makes him a constant threat to defenders. One can expect a huge 2021-22 campaign from the Frenchman this year.
#4 Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) - €62.5 million
Mikel Oyarzabal has been one of the most impressive La Liga players over the past few years. The winger has shown massive progression every season in terms of his performances and has become one of La Liga's biggest stars outside of the top three teams.
Oyarzabal's rise to prominence has also coincided with Real Sociedad's improvement over the years. The Spanish side are now constantly challenging for a top 4 finish, and the Spaniard is a huge reason why.
The winger's stellar dribbling ability and pace makes him a menace down the wing for Sociedad and he has now added the end product which makes him even more of a goal threat. Oyarzabal finished last season with 13 goals and 10 assists across all competitions and is bound to improve those numbers during the 2021-22 campaign.
#3 Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid) - €62.6 million
The first player on the list based on potential alone, Vinicius Jr. is a star in the making. The Brazilian has found it hard to adapt to La Liga so far, but the potential is there for everyone to see.
Vinicius Jr. started showing signs of consistency in his performances under Zinedine Zidane last season, but often had to deal with niggling injury issues which forced him in and out of the squad. However, only 21-years-old, the Brazilian has a long career ahead of him and is sure to reach his potential at Real Madrid.
Blessed with great pace, flair and dribbling ability, Vinicius Jr. needs to only work on his end-product. That would certainly take his game to the next level under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti. Expect the Brazilian to make huge strides during the 2020-21 campaign.
#2 Ansu Fati (Barcelona) - €63.2 million
The heir apparent to Lionel Messi at Barcelona, Ansu Fati has a lot of expectations on his young shoulders heading into the 2021-22 campaign. The Spaniard has shown extraordinary progression in the little we've seen of him so far and looks like the real deal at Barcelona.
A product of La Masia, Fati is still only 18-years-old but plays with the guile and finesse of a veteran. His speed on the ball is matched by his unbelievable technical prowess.
Fati started off the 2020-21 campaign in great form before a meniscus injury ended his season. The Spaniard bagged 5 goals and 2 assists in 10 games across all competitions for Barcelona before getting injured. Having been out for nine months, Fati returned to training earlier this month and is nearing his return to action for the Blaugrana.
#1 Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) - €76.5 million
Joao Felix joined Atletico Madrid back in 2019 amidst much fanfare following his stellar performances for Benfica. However, the Portuguese superstar has not yet been able to find his feet in La Liga and is due to have a breakout 2021-22 campaign.
Felix is another player who is on this list more due to his potential than his actual performances so far. However, the forward has shown us glimpses of his undeniable quality since joining Atletico Madrid. Still only 21-years-old, Felix has bags of potential and can become one of the best players in the world.
Although he was used sparingly by Diego Simeone last season, Felix still managed 10 goals in 22 starts across all competitions for Atletico Madrid. He may need a change of scenery in order to realize his massive potential, but any club would have to pay a huge transfer fee in order to land the Portuguese star in the future.
