It was an atypical summer market, marked by COVID-19, the economic downturn of the clubs and the inflexibility of the Spanish to let your most valued pieces escape. Only Marc Roca, whose departure was part of the plans to square the salary limit, won the starting ticket to Bayern Munich. The squad was practically closed in the absence of some adjustments in specific positions, which the sports management tried to supply in the best possible way and with little investment.
After 19 rounds played, the significance of these reinforcements has been intermittent, overshadowed in the starting position by other players with more weight and performance, such as Adrián Embarba, Raúl de Tomás, Sergi Darder, David López or Leandro Cabrera. In this way, between Miguel Llambrich, Fran Mérida, Óscar Gil, Keidi Bare and Álvaro Vadillo they only add up to 35.88% of the minutes played so far.
At the top are two players who, curiously, have disappeared from the line-ups in recent games. Miguelón, established on the right side until Óscar Gil has won the game in the last weeks, adds 58.45% of the minutes played, without a doubt the player who has given the most and best performance so far. Loaned by Villarreal, the contract ends at the end of the season although the club has a purchase option. He is followed closely by Fran Mérida, who arrived free from Osasuna, and who accumulates 54.56% of the minutes.
The Barcelonian has lived in 19 days different moments. He went from being essential, “one of the best in the first section”, in the words of Vicente Moreno, to losing his position and redeeming himself in the last match against Almería, with a technical action that led to the penalty that transformed RdT in 2- 1. Mérida has also been relegated by the appearance of Keidi Bare, first recovered from his poor physical condition by not completing the preseason with Málaga, his previous club, and from overcoming some discomfort. The Albanian already reaches 20.7% of the minutes, and was growing like Óscar Gil (20.7%).
Vadillo deserves a special mention, one of the invisible players of the season, who has only contributed 4% of the minutes. Injured, the winger is expected to reappear in the Cup with the entry of 2021. He arrived on the last market day after he wanted to leave Celta, the club he arrived at last summer.