La Liga Transfer Window: Nuri Sahin and the Top 10 Signings Through June 1st
The season formally ended only a week ago, and we already have transfers falling through.
While some teams won't spend their money wisely, others have already made some very good off-season moves.
This list will weigh not only each player talent, but also his price, contract length, and the signing team's need for the player. I will continue to update this list every 15 days, so do come back to check which transfers make the top 10 every 2 weeks or so.
Without further ado, here are the Top 10 signings in Spain's La Liga through June 1st.
10. Piotr Trochowski
1 of 10
Age: 27
Nationality: German
Height: 1.68 m.
Position: Winger or attacking midfielder
From: Hamburg SV
To: Sevilla FC
Transfer Fee: Bosman (Free)
Real Market Value: €5 million
Contract: 5 year, around €1.5 million
Why it's good value:
Trochowsk is an international winger with Germany, and is a solid player with a terrific long-distance shot. And when someone like this comes free, he's obviously a good buy.
Plus, this gives Sevilla a backup plan in case they sell Perotti and can also play inside where they had no substitutes for the winter signing of Rakitic.
Rating: 7 (out of 10)
9. Callejón
2 of 10
Age: 24
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.78 m.
Position: Winger and Second Forward
From: Espanyol Barcelona
To: Real Madrid CF
Transfer Fee: €5 million
Real Market Value: €7 million
Contract: 5 year, around €2.5 million
Why it's good value:
Made in Real Madrid Castilla, Callejón returns to the capital a few years after he left.
It's not clear what his role will be with Los Merengues (or whether he'll have a role at all), but he is a good signing and provides good potential for the price they paid for him.
I suppose they can always sell him for a little more.
Rating: 7 (out of 10)
8. Martin Caceres
3 of 10
Age: 24
Nationality: Uruguayan
Height: 1.82 m.
Position: Central defender and full back on both sides
From: FC Barcelona
To: Sevilla FC
Transfer Fee: €3 million (could rise to €4.5 million on incentives)
Real Market Value: €7.5 million
Contract: 4 year, around €2 million
Why it's good value:
A defender that can play anywhere on the back four, Caceres was loaned out to Sevilla from Barça last season. They have decided to exercise the right to buy him.
The Catalans paid €17 million for him off Villarreal a few seasons ago, so he's clearly a steal at less than half that price if his talent and potential are to be considered.
Rating: 7.5 (out of 10)
7. Diego Alves
4 of 10
Age: 25
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 1.88 m.
Position: Goalkeeper
From: Almería
To: Valencia
Transfer Fee: €10 million
Real Market Value: €15 million
Contract: 4 year, around €1.5 million
Why it's good value:
Alves, the world's best keeper that you've never heard of as well as a fantastic penalty stopper, goes to Valencia.
He did everything he could to keep Almeria in the Spanish top flight, and now he will get the recognition he has deserved for a few years when he starts for los Ches.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)
6. Ander Herrera
5 of 10
Age: 21
Nationality: Spanish (Basque)
Height: 1.82 m.
Position: Central midfielder, Attacking midfielder
From: Zaragoza
To: Athletic Bilbao
Transfer Fee: €7.5 million
Real Market Value: €12 million
Contract: 5 year, around €1.2 million
Why it's good value:
Herrera has everything you expect from a Spanish midfielder nowadays: passing ability, vision, tempo and technique.
Some might not know this, but Athletic can't (or won't) buy players that don't have Basque ascendence in their blood, and so for them to find a playmaker as good as Ander for less than full price adds extra points to any normal transfer.
Rating: 8 (out of 10)
5. Adil Rami
6 of 10
Age: 25
Nationality: French/Moroccan
Height: 1.90 m.
Position: Central defender
From: OSC Lille
To: CF Valencia
Transfer Fee: €5 million
Real Market Value: €15 million
Contract: 5 year, around €1.5 million
Why it's good value:
Rami, one of Europe's best young defenders, joins Valencia for a very cheap transfer price because they bought him early in January's window.
He's already a starter for Laurent Blanc's France National Team, and so the value of this very solid centre-back will continue to increase.
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)
4. Felipe Caicedo
7 of 10
Age: 22
Nationality: Ecuadorian
Height: 1.85 m.
Position: Striker
From: Manchester City
To: Levante
Transfer Fee: €1 million
Real Market Value: €8.5 million
Contract: 3 year, around €700,000
Why it's good value:
Caicedo is about as cheap as they will come among players who almost single-handedly won you another season in Spain's First Division.
Caicedo was fantastic this season for small side Levante, and they were very wise to exercise their option to buy him this offseason for €1 million. If he continues to perform, they will sell him for at least five times that value a year from now (or maybe later on this same summer).
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10)
3. Didac Vilá
8 of 10
Age: 21
Nationality: Spanish
Height: 1.84 m.
Position: Left back
From: AC Milan
To: Espanyol Barcelona
Transfer Fee: Loan
Real Market Value: €2 million
Contract: 1 year, around €1 million
Why it's good value:
At first glance, this might not seem like an out-of-this-world deal. But consider this:
Milan signed Vilá in January for €4 million. And now he's back at Espanyol for free.
He didn't play a single game with Milan, and fearing losing all they bet on him, they've loaned him out to his former club.
That's world class buisiness-making for Espanyol right there.
Rating: 8.5 (out of 10) for Espanyol.
2 for Milan.
2. Nuri Sahin
9 of 10
Age: 22
Nationality: Turkish/German
Height: 1.81 m.
Position: Central midfielder, Attacking midfielder, Holding Midfielder
From: Borussia Dortmund
To: Real Madrid CF
Transfer Fee: €10 million (€12 million with performance clauses)
Real Market Value: €20 million
Contract: 6 year, around €3.5 million
Why it's good value:
I've written a lot about what might happen with Madrid's signing of Sahin.
What I haven't talked about is the great price. They got him at half-price because his contract was about to run out, and Sahin at €10 million is just plain silly.
Rating: 9 (out of 10)
1. Hamit Altintop
10 of 10
Age: 28
Nationality: Turkish/German
Height: 1.83 m.
Position: Central midfielder, Attacking midfielder, Winger, Right Back, Holding Midfielder
From: Bayern Munich
To: Real Madrid CF
Transfer Fee: Bosman (Free)
Real Market Value: €15 million
Contract: 4 year, around €3 million
Why it's good value:
Altintop will never make you go crazy with his talent. Ever. But he's definitely the kind of player that gives a team balance.
Altintop can play everywhere, and also does it very well. Think of Keita in Barça. Nothing special, but a very important player when someone in the starting 11 is not available. That's what Hamit will do as a Merengue.
And when you take into account that he cost zero euros...
Well, that's just a Special One, isn't it.
Rating: 9 (out of 10)
