La Liga, Spanish football’s top tier, has not impressed in terms of “troop movements” this winter. None of the Spain’s top clubs have made any big transfers.
Without a La Liga title since 2019, FC Barcelona seems determined to dethrone their great rival Real Madrid, for whom 2022 was a near-perfect year. Success in January’s Spanish Super Cup has given wings to the Catalan side, who are determined not to slacken their pace until the end of the season. The fact that the team’s gearing is working very well has prompted Xavi not to acquire any players this winter. However, the departure of Memphis Depay, brought in from Lyon in 2021, is surprising. Depay was sold for just four million euros to another rival, Atletico Madrid.
Real Madrid have not been active in the transfer market either this season, with Carlo Ancelotti relying on the same batch of players, but especially on the very good form of Frenchman Karim Benzema, the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner. However, due to injuries, Benzema has played little this season, but when he did, he proved to be decisive.
The arrival in mid-october of Argentinian coach Jorge Sampaoli to replace Julen Lopetegui (who has moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in England) was not the revival FC Sevilla fans had been hoping for. Neither have the acquisitions of this winter: Lucas Ocampos (Ajax – back from loan), Pape Gueye (Marseille – on loan) and Bryan Gil (Tottenham Hotspur – on loan), have not brought any added value to the Andalusian team, who is still in the relegation zone.
Real Sociedad, the revelation of the season, continues its conservative policy. The Basque club has the same coach, Imanol Alguacil, 51, in charge since 2018, and the same group of players, from which the Norwegian Alexander Sorloth, Brais Méndez, Martín Zubimendi and the Japanese Takefusa Kubo stand out. With the exception of two players returning after loans to other teams, Real Sociedad did not make any other transfers this winter.
