Lewandowski, Tchouameni, Cavani and all the major signings for LaLiga in 2022-23
Lewandowski, Tchouameni, Cavani and all the major signings for LaLiga in 2022-23: A football game “should always be a show,” as Johan Cruyff used to remark. An all-around attractive sport was important to the late LaLiga icon, who was one of the game’s most pivotal figures. Football is a show that lasts well beyond the 90 minutes we used to think it did.
Understanding the fervor that surrounds a sport requires an appreciation for its fans, culture, and tales; the transfer market is a key component of this.
LaLiga Santander teams have spent the offseason preparing for the next season by bolstering their rosters.
There has been a flurry of predictions anticipating which players would move to which teams, as well as a number of interesting acquisitions, the return of familiar faces, and players who committed to sticking with their teams. The summer transfer window has ended, so let’s take a look at the most intriguing business that LaLiga clubs wrapped up over the period.
International stars to strengthen LaLiga clubs
Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to FC Barcelona was the most talked-about move of the window this year. Two-time The Best Award and Golden Boot winners now play for LaLiga Santander.
The Pole isn’t the only reinforcement coming to Spotify’s Camp Nou. Jules Koundé, Raphinha, Franck Kessié, and Andreas Christensen will all be experiencing their debut season in Spain with Xavi Hernández’s FC Barcelona after making the switch from Sevilla FC.
In addition, Ousmane Dembélé re-upped with the Blaugrana. As a result, the Culés will soon be treated to the talents of a number of new, internationally known players.
At the same time, current LaLiga Santander and Champions League champions Real Madrid have signed two experienced talents in Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni, respectively, to bolster their defense and midfield and increase their chances of maintaining both crowns.
Of course, they aren’t the only teams to sign star players this summer. Atlético de Madrid has signed Axel Witsel and Nahuel Molina, two of the most important players in their respective leagues last season, as well as securing the loan signing of Sergio Reguilón.
In addition, Sevilla FC has signed Isco Alarcón, who thrived under current coach Julen Lopetegui, and Valencia CF finalized the entrance of Edinson Cavani, the Uruguayan international who has been one of the most lethal goalscorers of the 21st century, in the days before the market closed.
Arrivals, departures… and reunions
The common misconception is that summer is a season for saying goodbye. Many former LaLiga Santander players have reunited with their old teammates.
After experiencing life outside of their comfort zone, lvaro Morata and Sal guez have returned to the Cvitas Metropolitano with renewed vigor and enthusiasm to play key parts in Diego Simeone’s plans for the club.
There was certainly an opportunity for some romanticism in the summer market.
After stops at Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, Ander Herrera has returned to Athletic Club, and Sergio Asenjo has rejoined the Real Valladolid squad for which he first appeared in a LaLiga Santander game in 2007. Héctor Bellern will play for the first time in the first squad of the club where he was developed, FC Barcelona, while Pepe Reina has returned to Villarreal CF 17 years after leaving for Liverpool.
More and more frequently, clubs make permanent transfers of players who were originally thought to be on loan.
Hugo Duro at Valencia CF, Borja Mayoral at Getafe CF, Vedat Muriqi at RCD Mallorca, and Willian José at Real Betis are just some instances of players who have been retained on by their respective clubs. Meanwhile, certain players are renewing their loans from the previous season, like Giovani Lo Celso (Villarreal CF) and Alexander Srloth (Real Sociedad).
Future talents want to prove their worth
A number of players that will be household names in the next decade have arrived in LaLiga Santander during this time frame. There are several developing stars which Spanish clubs are already backing, meaning this league is still a place for talent to thrive.
Mohamed-Ali Cho, the 18-year-old French football gem, has arrived at Real Sociedad to reinforce their attack and will be joined there by Japan’s Take Kubo, who is already familiar with the competition.
In Seville, the Brazilian Luiz Henrique will thrill the fans at the Estadio Benito Villamarín, while, on the other side of town, Tanguy Nianzou will attempt to give defensive solidity at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
Other notable players include Patrick Kluivert’s son, Justin, who will suit up for Valencia CF alongside Brazilian midfielder Samuel Lino, who is on loan from Atletico Madrid, and Argentine striker Taty Castellanos, who finished as the MLS’s top scorer last year, and Brazilian midfielder Reinier, who is on loan from Real Madrid.
Changes in the dugouts too
Cruyff was able to realize his dream of football as a spectacle throughout his time as a player and later as a coach. The entrance of a new coach generates as much attention as, if not more than, the arrival of a new player because the coach is the leader of the project and the captain of the ship.
Following the managerial changes of the summer, Ernesto Valverde is beginning his third tenure in charge of Athletic Club, where he has reunited with some of the players he coached in the past, ready to give the supporters an attractive project.
Diego Martínez, who led Granada CF to the Europa League’s quarter-finals, has joined RCD Espanyol to try to emulate this accomplishment with Los Pericos. Then, Valencia CF hired Italian football great Gennaro Gattuso as their new coach with the hopes of returning to the top of the league.
Read More: Champions League: Robert Lewandowski bags his hat-trick as Bayern thrash Barcelona