Late Transfer Requirements from La Liga's Top Teams Ahead of 2015/16 Season
The 2015/16 La Liga season gets underway on Friday night and all over the weekend, with all 20 teams hoping they have done enough during the summer to achieve their relative aims, whether surviving relegation, reaching Europe, winning the title or anything in between.
Spanish sides are always prominent among summer transfer activity, and this window has been no different; nine of the 20 biggest transfers in Europe to date feature sides in La Liga on one end of the deal or the other.
As we prepare to get the season underway, though, there is still a chance that some of the top sides will attempt to push through a few more deals—so we're looking at each in turn here and assessing what they still need to do, both to win the title and to push for European qualification.
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The Holders
The most lenient transfer ban in history has really turned out to be a "registration ban"; Barcelona have brought in Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal—but can't play them until the second half of the season. Likewise, they were prohibited from bringing back their own player, Denis Suarez, from Sevilla and playing him, so he has remained at the Andalucian club.
Barcelona won everything last year and will have their sights set only on repeating the trick, but it will prove phenomenally hard to do.
The suspicion has to be that they will fall a little short this time, not least of all because they are going to have to manage the first half of the season looking decidedly light in the final third. Aside from the key forward line of Luis Suarez, Neymar and Leo Messi, Pedro's departure to Chelsea leaves them looking only at youngsters Sandro or Munir to come on and impact.
The only other option is to push forward Rafinha—but then he in turn leaves the midfield looking short, with Sergi Roberto still not looking the genuine top-class option they need him to be.
What can they do, though? Buying more additions now still leaves the problem of lasting until winter without them. They must trust in the resilience of their current squad and hope fortune favours them, to an extent.
At the other end, they could feasibly offload a centre-back—although for the opening games, injury and suspension means they look light enough there, too.
Barcelona right now is essentially Barcelona for the first half of the season: with work to do and a little short, but still tremendously talented nonetheless and the team to beat at home and abroad.
Real
Where do Real Madrid go next? They came within a point of La Liga's title last season and yet nobody really thought they were going to do it. They have replaced Champions League-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti with Rafa Benitez, had barely made any major moves in the market until the sudden and surprising signing of Mateo Kovacic, and remain in the hunt for David De Gea.
Which begs the question: If Real have the cash and the aggression to simply splash €30 million on a position where they are already stacked—Kovacic will compete with Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Casemiro and, to a lesser extent, Asier Illarramendi and Lucas Silva or with Gareth Bale, Isco and James Rodriguez—why don't they simply get the deal done for De Gea?
It's obvious, transparent and completely correct that they want the Spaniard to be their No. 1 goalkeeper—that's the position nailed down for a decade or more when they do. So why all the messing about? Why keep Keylor Navas hanging on until the final days of the window and then starting the season with him when they're just going to ditch him once De Gea is signed and sealed anyway?
Surely, for the team, as well as for the individuals involved, it's far more worth them just paying the £30 million or whatever it takes to bring in the Manchester United man right now? Yes, he's on a "free transfer" next summer, but with talk of a £12 million signing-on fee, is the difference for a club of that size and value really worth waiting another year?
He's exceptional. He's available.
Just get him.
Atleti
Atletico Madrid have arguably the most stacked and complete squad out of the three main title contenders, with a great depth to both midfield and attack. They also have the continuity and progression that Real do not have.
It's tough to argue against them needing to sign anyone else at all, though, of course, with any departures might come an additional spot for a new signing.
Diego Simeone's biggest task this season might be slightly relaxing his usual habit of playing about 12 or 14 players for the majority of the season; four strikers are all worthwhile of starting, at least three players have a big shout to be a regular central midfielder, and there are young talents aplenty looking to break through—not to mention two goalkeepers.
They don't really need to do add anything further, as long as nobody leaves.
Los Che
Last season's fourth-placed team Valencia have a big job on their hands to replicate last year's efforts.
For starters, their top two performers are both out of action: Nicolas Otamendi has moved to Manchester City and Diego Alves has a torn ACL.
"Check out the first pictures of @Notamendi30 as a City player! Image gallery: http://t.co/spRCXu3F0i #WelcomeNicolas pic.twitter.com/InPj5dBCug
— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) August 20, 2015"
All the major moves they have made are making last season's loans permanent, and while some of those are pivotal to the future of the club, they certainly haven't made ground in making the first XI any stronger than last term.
Santi Mina and Mathew Ryan are really the only new additions, and neither can lay absolute claim to deserving being a starter just yet. That said, they still have good depth in certain areas—but a new central defender is an absolute must now. They could also do with a striker to challenge Paco Alcacer and provide the goals that Alvaro Negredo can no longer manage.
Post-Bacca Sevilla
Sevilla's wonderful transfer work this summer looks impressive in every way—except one. The choice of Ciro Immobile to replace Carlos Bacca is a curious one; hard-working and with a good scoring record in his final season in Italy, Immobile is nonetheless far from the rapid outlet that the Colombian was and certainly doesn't have his consistent goal rate over several seasons.
The midfield is totally stacked, though, wide and central, and no further additions are required there—though keeping hold of Grzegorz Krychowiak could genuinely make the difference between finishing fourth and fifth, such is his importance.
Right now they could perhaps use another defensive addition, and time will tell whether Immobile and Kevin Gameiro prove worthy of fighting for the No. 9 role between them, but Sevilla are looking good—better than Valencia as things stand—for a top-four finish.
Europe and Beyond
Outside of the top five, it looks to be a four-way battle for Europa League spots: Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, Villarreal and Celta Vigo. Any one of them is capable of troubling the top sides over 90 minutes, especially at home, and all will fancy their chances of competing for a top-six finish and a good Copa del Rey run.
Real Sociedad's new-look attack is extremely exciting if they jell fast and David Moyes frees them to be creative, inventive and offensive, while Diego Reyes is a fantastic loan addition at the back. Merge the attacking talents of Sergio Canales, Carlos Vela, Bruma and Jonathas to the natural inclinations of Moyes to organise and repress the opposition, and La Real could have a fantastic season.
Villarreal are slightly more concerning—they have replaced their entire front line, and unless Roberto Soldado returns to his pre-Tottenham Hotspur form, the worry must be that they do not contain enough goals in the side. Samuel will have to carry the threat with his pace and direct running from one flank or through the middle, while Samu Castillejo does the same on the wing.
The Yellow Submarine have a solid-looking outfit overall, but it's all a little hit-and-miss in attack right now. Their other concern is beefing up the defence before the transfer window shuts, with Mateo Musacchio out injured long term and goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo suffering a torn ACL.
Back to Basque country, keeping hold of stars has been the key for Athletic, but the best they can hope for is an improvement from last season from some of the underperformers—namely Benat, Markel Susaeta and Ander Iturraspe. It's tough for them to add genuine talent so the move for Raul Garcia is no surprise, but they might have to wait there. Meanwhile, their own restrictions on who plays for them meant a potential deal for Tommy Oar is off.
As for Celta Vigo, they still haven't replaced Michael Krohn-Dehli's passing and drive from deep in midfield—but the restructured attack looks to have goals in it. If Nolito stays and he fires, they have a good chance of troubling the top six, though adding another creative midfielder wouldn't be the worst idea ever.
There could yet be unexpected deals in the final days of the transfer window, and with La Liga looking as attractive as ever to potential signings, don't be surprised to see further big money spent before the transfer window shuts on 31 August.
One final addition could mean so much to teams, financially and in sporting terms, if they turn eighth into sixth, fifth into fourth or even second into first.
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