La Liga clubs spent over €555.59 million this summer to bolster their ranks ahead of the 2024/25 season – the outlay was the third most amongst Europe’s top five leagues.
The summer transfer window is a time to reinforce the squad, address needs, find missing pieces, and plug holes.
Some teams did magnificently well, bringing in key players who could play a significant role in their success stories short-term and long-term.
Here’s a round up of the top deals completed during the summer transfer window.
Dani Olmo – RB Leipzig to Barcelona – €55m
Barcelona entered the window needing a left-winger. But after chasing Athletic Bilbao star Nico Williams for weeks, it became clear what fans had known months prior – the club did not have the finances to complete the operation.
President Joan Laporta inexplicably brought back former La Masia starlet Dani Olmo despite many feeling the 25-year-old was not a profile the club needed.
However, the Spanish international looks set to be a crucial player under the Hansi Flick regime, playing in the hole behind Robert Lewandowski.
The former Dinamo Zagreb star debuted in the 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano and bagged the winner in the 82nd minute to send the Catalans to the top of the La Liga standings.
Besides the goal, Olmo was fantastic, playing two key passes and creating one big chance in the 45-minute cameo.
His first start for his boyhood club came in the 7-1 mauling of Real Valladolid. Again, Olmo was excellent. He scored and hit the woodwork twice, but his performance was more than that.
He was the link between the midfield and attack, constantly popping up between the lines to pick up the ball and turn at their hapless opponents. He played one key pass and assisted another goal.
Olmo won seven of his 12 duels and completed four of five dribbles.
The 2024 European Championship winner has given Barca a new dimension in attack as they challenge Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid for the La Liga title despite their limited resources.
This promises to be an exciting season for the club and fans have already begun picking up Barcelona tickets at Seatsnet.com.
Kylian Mbappe – Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid – Free Transfer
After years of chasing their tail, Real Madrid eventually landed Kylian Mbappe, with the Frenchman joining on a free transfer following his acrimonious Paris Saint-Germain exit.
Los Blancos reinforced one of the most fearsome squads in Europe with yet another superstar footballer as they look to defend their La Liga and Champions League crowns.
However, there are fears his profile could clash with what the club already has on their books.
In Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes, the 36-time La Liga winners already have two attackers who love to cut in from the left, and they added another to the mix.
They look clunky in attack, with all three forwards veering to their favoured position on the left. It is a problem that coach Carlo Ancelotti will have to find a solution to.
In the meantime, Mbappe is slowly getting acclimatised to his new surroundings. Three putrid La Liga outings followed a debut goal in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta.
The 2018 World Cup winner then announced his arrival in the division with a brace to down Real Betis.
Mbappe has yet to get into the groove and has bagged three goals in five appearances. The former AS Monaco will be a thorn in the flesh of many La Liga sides when he fully gets into his stride.
Julian Alvarez – Manchester City to Atletico Madrid – €95m
Julian Alvarez grew wary of playing second fiddle to Erling Braut Haaland at Manchester City and left Pep Guardiola’s side for a more prominent role in Atletico Madrid.
Los Colchoneros forked out a mammoth €95m to bring the 2022 World Cup winner to the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano following the departure of Alvaro Morata and Samu Omorodion.
Alvarez played a vital role in City’s successes over the past two seasons since joining the Premier League champions from River Plate for around £15m.
He recorded 17 goals and five assists in 49 appearances as the Cityzens won the treble in his first season in England.
The Argentine international followed up with 19 goals and 13 assists in 54 appearances last term as City retained their Premier League title and reached the FA Cup final.
Alvarez will look to produce even better numbers in the Spanish top flight, although his first few games in red and white have not gone according to plan, with zilch goals and one big chance missed in four appearances.
However, he scored a fine goal against Chile in Argentina’s 3-0 win over the South Americans in their World Cup Qualifiers and will look to carry that form back to Spain.
Chidera Ejuke – CSKA Moscow to Sevilla – Free Transfer
Following the departure of Lucas Ocampos to Monterrey for €7m after five years of service to Sevilla, the club needed a new option for the left wing and elected to sign Chidera Ejuke.
The Nigerian international exited CSKA Moscow after the expiration of his deal and needed a new landing spot – Seville came calling.
Ejuke was coming off the back of a terrific spell with Royal Antwerp in which he bagged four goals and four assists (six big chances created) in 21 starts in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League.
The 26-year-old also played a crucial role in their Champions League campaign, appearing in four of their six games, including the famous 3-2 win over Barcelona.
He was phenomenal against Barca, playing three key passes, completing nine of 11 dribbles against the five-time Champions League winners and winning 12 of 17 duels.
Ejuke has brought that electric form to Seville as the giants look to reestablish themselves after some mediocre campaigns.
The tricky forward has yet to open his account, but he is playing 3.3 key passes and completing four dribbles per game. He is a ferocious force out wide that can carve opponents open.
Despite the Andalusians starting the season with awful results, Ejuke has been a bright spot in their squad.
Bryan Gil – Tottenham Hotspur to Girona – Loan
Bryan Gil joined Tottenham Hotspur from boyhood club Sevilla for £21.6 million but never found his footing in England.
Loans to Valencia and Sevilla followed but it was clear the Tottenham tenure had affected his confidence.
With Savinho leaving for Man City, Girona needed a new winger to reinforce their squad and turned to Gil, who was surplus to requirement for Spurs.
Girona has given Gil a new lease of life in Catalonia. The Spain youth international is back to his best for his new club.
Gil has been electric in their first four La Liga games, adeptly replacing the Brazilian attacker with aplomb.
The 23-year-old has notched a goal and an assist, and you can bet on him continuing that productive run.
The loan move is a breath of fresh air for a promising career that stalled.
Gil will play a crucial role as Girona attempt to match their unbelievable 2023/24 campaign and give a decent account of themselves in the Champions League.
