La Liga Transfer

The transfer window closes in Spain – as it does for much of Europe – on Friday, August 30th, and clubs, except players out of contract, must conclude all their business by then and then will be forced to stick with their current squads until January.

This year has been unusual because the staging of three major international tournaments – the Euros, the Copa América, and the Olympics – means there has not been the same flurry of transfer activity as previous years.

That may be about to change, though, as the clock begins to tick down, and La Liga could yet see some significant transfers involving their players and clubs.

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Mikel Merino

It seems a matter of when, and not if, Mikel Merino will complete his move from Real Sociedad to Arsenal.

Personal terms with the player have already been agreed, and now it is a question of the fee and the structure of payments for somebody who is already in the final year of his contract and wants to move to the Premier League.

He is expected to take up the number six position at the Emirates.

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Martin Zubímendi

Fellow Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubímendi has also been the subject of Premier League interest but rejected the chance to join Liverpool. The Anfield club have not ruled out submitting a higher offer for him, whilst Barcelona have also been linked with him.

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Joan García

Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García is another player linked with a move to Arsenal this summer, who are potentially looking for a number two, with Aaron Ramsdale set to leave the Emirates before the window closes. 

García is 23 years old and has limited top-flight experience, so he will not be challenging David Raya or the number-one jersey at the Gunners if he does make the switch.

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Frenkie de Jong

Barcelona’s continued financial problems mean they still have not been able to register a new signing, Dani Olmo, whom they bought from RB Leipzig, and there may need to be some disposals before the window closes.

One player they would like to offload is Frenkie de Jong, the club’s highest earner.

However, the Dutchman is under contract until 2026 and has resisted previous attempts to force him out of the club. Should he be persuaded to change his mind, Bayern Munich has a long-standing interest in him.

A complication is that de Jong is still in dispute with Barcelona about payments he felt were due to him after he agreed to take a deferred pay cut during the Covid era.

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Raphinha

Another Barcelona player with high wages is Raphinha, and he had previously been linked with a return to the Premier League and Arsenal, who are looking for a backup for Bukayo Saka. However, the player himself has no desire to leave.

Chelsea has been linked with him previously, but given that they already have a surplus of wingers at the club, there seems to be little reason to add another (although rationality and their transfer strategy appear strangers now)!

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Ilkay Gundogan

Ilkay Gundogan only moved to Barcelona a year ago after he left Manchester City on a free transfer, but his time in Catalonia might already be up. 

Clubs in Saudi Arabia are interested in him, whilst there have also been suggestions that he could be set for a reunion with Pep Guardiola back at the Etihad.

Jose Mourinho, now managing in Turkey with Fenerbahçe, is also reported to be monitoring developments.

The man who captained Germany at the Euros this summer but subsequently retired from international duty made 51 appearances in Barcelona in all competitions. Still, the financial position at the club means they are open to him leaving.

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Rafael Leão

After his performances for Spain at the Euros, Nico Williams was a top transfer target for Barcelona, but he seems destined to remain with Athletic Bilbao for at least another season, and he has recently changed his shirt number as a signal of intent.

Instead, Barcelona has pivoted to AC Milan winger Rafael Leão, who is valued at around₤80 million.

Given Barcelona’s financial issues, such a sum would need to be paid in installments, and they might need more creative accounting from their board. The Italian club does not need to sell the player under contract until 2028, so there is little room to negotiate on price alone.

If a deal cannot be concluded before the deadline, Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman could also be an alternative, given that the Bundesliga side has indicated that he can leave.

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Ansu Fati

Ansu Fati was once tipped to have a glittering future before him. The second youngest player to have appeared for Barcelona and their youngest-ever goalscorer, he made his full international debut for Spain at age 17.

However, injuries and loss of form have affected him, and he has been eclipsed at the Catalan club by the emergence of talents like Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Gabi. Meanwhile, he had a less-than-impressive loan spell with Brighton in the Premier League last season.

He is still just 21, and time is on his side to fulfill his potential, but he needs to leave Barcelona to do that, with Sevilla among the clubs monitoring his situation.

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Rodrygo

With Kylian Mbappé joining Real Madrid on a free transfer and Brazilian wonderkid Endrick signing from Palmeiras, Real Madrid, arguably the team with the strongest attack in the league, has become even more potent.

And, for manager Carlo Ancelotti, that poses a problem. How to fit all this talent into the same team? It is a problem that previous Real managers have faced in the Galácticos era and not always dealt with satisfactorily.

Therefore, one solution might be to sell one of the existing players, with Rodrygo among the obvious candidates, despite scoring their opening goal of the new League campaign against Real Mallorca.

There have been suggestions that Manchester City might be ready to bid for him as they look to fill the gap created by the departure of Julián Álvarez, who has joined Atlético Madrid.

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Vinícius Junior

Rodrygo’s Brazilian teammate Vinícius Junior has been offered a lucrative deal worth over US $ 1 billion to move to Saudi Arabia, including a ten-year contract to act as a brand ambassador for the 2034 World Cup.

He is reported to be studying the offer with his representatives.

Whilst there are good reasons why he might want to leave Spain at some point – he has often been the target of racist abuse whilst playing for Real, he is the leading contender to win the Ballon d’Or this year and will not want to jeopardize that.

He is also much younger than many recent recruits to the Saudi pro league, and it would be a significant feather in their cap should they persuade him to make the switch.

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Saúl Ñíguez

Atlético Madrid has been busy readjusting their squad this summer with Alvárez. Euro-winning Spanish defender Robin Le Normand and striker Alexander Sørloth all joined the club.

To make way, Alvaro Morata and Memphis Depay have already left the club, and more departures are expected, including João Felix, who is about to join Chelsea, with Conor Gallagher headed the other way.

Meanwhile, central midfielder Saúl Ñíguez is another set to leave, with his salary no longer justified by his contribution on the field. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Sevilla, and they could now try and make that move permanent.

Having made more than 400 appearances in an Atlético shirt, he is one of their longest-serving players but now seems to be surplus to requirements as far as Diego Simeone is concerned.

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