Hello to all readers, my name is Diego Perez. I am originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, a beautiful island full of love for soccer and I am one of the new writers on this platform. I have been a football fan virtually my whole life from the age of six onwards,. As I have grown up, so has my passion for the sport and its several unique wrinkles. I played in competitive youth teams for six years during my early adolescence and have followed the professional side of the sport during the collective of my formative years. After spending so much time invested into this game, I hope to employ my own insight into these articles and give a fresh take on the world of professional football. But I also look forward to challenging my beliefs about the beautiful game as well, and cannot wait to share my perspective on the countless memorable football moments that undoubtedly await us as fans. I really hope you all enjoy!
With only 10 days remaining until the kickoff of the 2022-2023 La Liga season, I try to dive into everything that went on during the summer break and how things have shaken up in the Spanish league, as Real Madrid look to repeat their success of last season where they finished 13 points clear of second place Barcelona in the table, as well as their scorching run through Europe's elite clubs in the Champions League. Though the Catalan club stumbled through a tumultuous season and finished only slightly above Atletico, Barcelona has made several moves to tighten up their roster and tailor it to Xavi’s tactical ideology after he inherited Ronald Koeman's disaster midway through last season. But everyone aside from the Spanish giants seems to be sleeping at the wheel or at least content with their squads as there has been little movement around La Liga. In fact, Sevilla who managed a fourth place finish in the standings and challenged Madrid for the title up until the winter break, have sold their headlining center back Jules Kounde to Barcelona as well as his partner in Diego Carlos who departed for Aston Villa. The La Liga table could be in for a shakeup in the upcoming campaign, but it seems as though it will be a two-horse race next year and a battle for those other two Champions League slots.
Beginning with the reigning Spanish champions in the Capital, Real Madrid failed to secure the elusive transfer of Kylian Mbappe at the jump of the transfer window, even though it had been reported as all but done by several outlets. This news was accompanied by numerous rumblings of visceral unhappiness within PSG during the season, most notably after their shock loss to Madrid in the Champions League knockout stage. Although “los Blancos” certainly seemed to be the French superstars’ top choice, an offer at the eleventh hour from Paris coerced the youngster back to his hometown. By the sound of the contract, it would have been financially irresponsible to make any other choice. But the presiding European Champions were able to complete the signing of French midfielding prodigy, Aurelian Tchouameni. The Frenchman led Europe's top five leagues in combined tackles and interceptions as a 21 year old, in a somewhat weak Monaco side last season. His ceiling is quite high, and expectedly so with a price tag of 80 million Euro. He has a natural ability for ball recuperation and his body structure enables him to be a very physical presence on the pitch even at his young age. His on-ball skills are more than apt and will presumably continue to improve now that he is learning from the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos who have dominated Europe for the last decade with their technical ability. And with his compatriot Camavinga entering his sophomore season in a white kit, as well as Federico Valverde who has the experience of a 10 year midfielder at only age 24, the 14 time European Champions have a midfield trio they can get excited about for the foreseeable future.
Reinforcements were not exclusive to the center of the pitch, as Madrid also signed acclaimed defender Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer from Chelsea. The center back has been elite for Chelsea’s backline during his tenure there, winning a Champions League and elevating his game to a world class level. His defensive prowess and strength make him formidable, but his pace is what really stands out on the pitch. He has the confidence and ability to charge up the field with the ball and create something, whether it's a long distance shot or space for others to run into. His speed was clocked as the fastest in the Premier League last season, beating out Mohammed Salah, Adama Traore and Kyle Walker. On the offensive front Real Madrid seemed to heavily rely on the signing of Mbappe happening, as there has been no effort to bring in a backup striker for prospective Ballon D’or winner, Karmi Benzema or any sort of wing support which Mbappe would have brought to the table at an elite output. For now, the plan is to use Hazard as an option in case of Benzema injury or rest, and the hope is that Vinicius keeps developing on his already promising path to stardom. Ideally, Rodrygo can make the next leap as a creative force on the right flank. It is yet to be seen how things will play out in Madrid, but after a stoutly successful campaign last year, things should remain consistent with Anceolotti at the helm as confidence has reached an apex in the Spanish capital.
Madrid’s most notorious rivals have improved dramatically in Catalonia with a bundle of summer signings that look promising. Barcelona are a club in somewhat of a financial deficiency right now, but their yearn to reclaim the glory of yester years is on the top of their list at the moment. In terms of transfer news, they have hogged the headlines for the better part of two months, with all of the moves they have managed to make this summer. Headlining the overhaul of their squad is perennial goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, who joined from Bayern Munich after a drawn-out saga in which the player was begging for the move publicly, which led to the Germans side being forced to sell against their will. On his day, Lewandowski has shown he can be the best player on any pitch, and if not for a canceled ceremony in 2020 and a questionable award given to Lionel Messi last year, he might have been regarded as a back to back Ballon D’or winner right now. I’d say if you are a new fan to football or simply don’t know the full repertoire that Lewandowski's skillset withholds, I would implore readers to watch his 5 goals in 9 minutes against Wolfsburg back in 2015. He came onto the pitch as a substitute after being unfit, and slotted away 5 to shock everyone in the stadium. Even legendary manager Pep Gourdiola was stunned on the sidelines at the sight of such goal scoring prowess.
Although he is entering the twilight of his triumphant career, the Polish striker will aim to help Xavi and the club in their pursuit of former European and domestic glory. In addition to Bayern’s talisman, Barcelona finalized a deal for the transfer of Brazilian winger Raphinha from English side Leeds United for a fee of 55 million Euros, which is about on par with the cost of their fee for Lewandowski and star Sevilla defender Jules Kounde. The pair of Raphinha and Kounde are young players that will benefit from entering a prestigious club early in their footballing careers, especially under a former player in Xavi who has experience and wisdom in abundance. He will certainly use it to motivate and develop these already promising talents. Kounde is the much more interesting signing to me though, as he and Ronald Araujo could be a lethal pairing at the back if the club is able to flank them with a pair of solid fullbacks. The center back duo will be a very healthy mix of athleticism and defending ability, though it is yet to be seen how their lack of experience will affect them in high stakes fixtures.
Another player joining the Catalan’s is former AC Milan center midfielder Franck Kessie, who I view as the underrated signing of the summer so far, with his market value being a reported 50 million Euro and Barca picking him up on a free transfer from the Italian champions. His ability to float all over the pitch and impact several facets of the game, contrasts longtime defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets who will now most assuredly move into a supplementary role on the bench. Kessie is a box-to-box player with a motor that never rests. His goal tally is not something to easily gloss over either, as he scored 48 in 204 matches for Milan which is comparable to Kevin De Bruyne's 57 goals in 207 matches for Man City, someone who is often regarded as the premier midfielder in world football. And for all of the spending Barcelona has done in the transfer window, they additionally managed to move on from Phillipe Coutinho who was sold for 22 million to Aston Villa. A good move, but at an alarming markdown to the 160 million Euro they paid for him back in 2018. In its totality it has been an efficient and successful summer for Barcelona, and although I view them as a team not yet ready to contend for Europe's top prize, they can certainly make some noise in La Liga, and if the chips fall their way a deep knockout run in the Champions League is not out of the question. I would not put it past them to attempt a move or two more before the jumpstart of the domestic league as they are rumored to be in for world class midfielder Bernardo Silva if they can find a way to ship off Frenkie De Jong. I do not know how that situation will play out, but I can confidently say that would be one of the top moves of the window given the sheer technical ability Bernardo showed last season in a star-studded Man City squad where he distinguished himself as unplayable last year. Silva or not, Barca have replenished their squad and will attempt to play their way into the table where the elite clubs dine at, now two years removed from the departure of club legend Lionel Messi.
The unfortunate reality in the Spanish league is the lack of additions to the other top squads within the league. A heap of talent was shipped off to the Premier League, and even sides like Atletico Madrid, who are capable of disturbing the status quo in the Champions League, have been pallid this transfer window. They have a couple of players returning from loan like Saul Niguez, but he mainly occupies the right side of the midfield, which is already manned by Marcos Llorente who has been a revelation over the past two seasons and arguably the club’s best player. Alvaro Morata also returns from his loan; Atletico hope to increase his output this season. However, his playing time seems imaginary, as it is difficult to visualize how he will play, when Joao Felix is already holding down the center forward position and Diego Simeone being a notoriously defensive minded manager. Things have been so dire in terms of transfer news that some outlets have even spread rumors of a possible Cristiano Ronaldo move to Atleti, but again that seems improbable given Simeone's track record and tactical philosophy. Fourth placed Sevilla sold both of their primary center backs, for a solid price I may say, but still gutted an important part of their roster only a few months removed from a relatively successful domestic season including the securement of a Champions League spot for this upcoming year. Even Villareal, a club that bossed Bayern Munich and gave Liverpool a run for their money, have had more departures than arrivals at the club. Though the loss of Giovanni Lo Celso will be tough, they have managed to keep their roster relatively intact. I am excited for what they can offer this upcoming campaign after their accomplished arrival in the Champions League this past season, only a year removed from their Europa League glory with Unai Emery leading the squad. A breakout season from young players like Danjuma, accompanied by a potential return to form for someone like Gerard Moreno, could propel Villareal into the upper echelon of the Spanish League standings this year.
La Liga is gearing up for one of its most interesting seasons in a while, and although I believe it will ultimately be a race of the two behemoths, I cannot predict exactly how things will shape up. Injuries, mid-season World Cup preparations, and the usual absurdity could throw things into a tailspin for the entire domestic table. I have no doubt that the clubs on the outside looking in will be waiting for any mistake to pounce on.
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