La Liga Transfer Rumours: 5 Biggest Deals and Rumours on Deadline Day

The Premier League might be running away with all the transfer deadline day excitement, but La Liga has seen a number of impressive deadline day deals which has seen players coming and going with clubs looking to strengthen.

Today represents the last day teams can bring in that special signing that could take them on to the next level—securing European qualification or saving them from relegation.

Diego, Atletico Madrid

Atletico were finally able to get the playmaker they needed to supplement the firepower they have up front with new signing Falcao.

The loan move from Wolfsburg will come as a welcome change for Diego who has struggled across Europe since his move to Juventus in 2009.

While the Spanish league will present a new environment for the player, he is more than capable of slotting in nicely to a side very much looking to take a stranglehold of the Spanish top four.

Luis Garcia Fernandez, Real Zaragoza

While the financially crippled Zaragoza have managed to pull off a great deadline day deal in the signing of Luis Garcia, the ramifications could be greater for his former club Espanyol.

Garcia leaves behind a club who were pushing for the top four in Spain last season but only managed a disappointing eighth place following their turn-of-the-year drop in form.

Espanyol also lost Pablo Osvaldo to Roma this summer and will struggle to replace the goals from the two forwards.

For Zaragoza, though, they have a player who can produce for them in a number of positions—being comfortable on the wings and as a striker.

Diego Forlan, Inter Milan

Atletico Madrid have managed to replace the outstanding Sergio Aguero with the similarly impressive Falcao from Porto, however, the departure of Diego Forlan to Inter means they are short on quality up front.

It’s hard to say how much Forlan’s departure will impact the side as they may be looking to focus their attack solely through Diego and Falcao.

But if there is not a change in tactics for the club, I fear players such as the newly signed Adrian Lopez will not be able to replicate the goals Forlan consistently provided.

Fernando Gago, AS Roma

Fernando Gago has finally ended his Real Madrid nightmare and signed on loan for Roma. Gago found himself in hot water with Madrid fans when he admitted Barcelona were the better side and impossible to beat.

With that he ended his career at Real Madrid, with fans and media sharpening their knives for the outspoken midfielder.

Gago might have been deemed surplus to requirements under Jose Mourinho but there were still a number of big clubs after the Argentine.

He now joins up with Luis Enrique’s revolution at Roma and will be flanked by a flurry of former La Liga players, hoping to reignite his career and regain a position in the Argentina squad.

Branislav Ivanovic, Valencia CF

This is a transfer that could go down to the wire with both Chelsea FC and Valencia unsure of a deal.

Branislav Ivanovic has so far been left out of Chelsea’s opening games of the 2011-12 season and it remains to be seen whether he is in Andre Villas Boas’ plans.

However, Valencia are still unsure of a deal but could be tempted to reinvest some of the fee received from the sale of Juan Mata.

Ivanovic would represent good value for money; the player being able to play in a number of positions across the back four.

Valencia will no doubt be one of the contenders for the two remaining top four spots in Spain, and a signing of Ivanovic’s quality would help to solidify their goal of Champions League football.