WHICH LA LIGA STARS COULD BE ON THE MOVE?

WHICH LA LIGA STARS COULD BE ON THE MOVE?

At the moment there is plenty of talk about what’s happening on the pitch with La Liga having returned to action as covid-19 restrictions ease. Don’t be fooled though. 

There will be plenty of boardroom eyes looking towards the transfer market. Here we look at five players who could be on the move.

Number 5. Chimy Avila

Osasuna come into the season’s final stretch with their place in La Liga all but assured. For that, they can thank Avila for playing a pretty substantial role during the first half of the campaign. He has nine goals to his name despite having suffered a cruciate knee injury in their match with Levante in January. A move to Barcelona was muted before that cruel blow of fate. 

When fit though, he’s capable of delivering from the very top drawer. Whether Barca reignite their interest or not remains to be seen but if it’s not them then someone will definitely test the Osasuna resolve. 

Number 4. Nabil Fekir

When Fekir joined Real Betis last year it looked a real coup. They’d reportedly fought off a host of competition from so called ‘bigger clubs’. As their newly signed talisman, Fekir was going to be the man to take Betis to new heights in La Liga. It didn’t quite unfold like that. Fekir has delivered his part of the bargain with seven goals and laying on a further seven for teammates but the team have underachieved – big time. 

There will be no European football for them next season and Fekir is not a mid-table player. Interest from Real Madrid and Arsenal has been floated. Whether he ends up with one of those clubs is as yet unknown but a move to better things is surely on the horizon.

Number 3. Philippe Coutinho

Yep, Coutinho is technically still a La Liga player despite pulling on the Bayern Munich strip. He’s not had an awful stint in Germany with nine goals and eight assists in 32 appearances, especially when he’ll return with a Bundesliga winners medal in his pocket too. He’s not going there permanently though. Barcelona won’t be home either with the Brazilian blatantly out of favour. 

A move to England, where he excelled for Liverpool previously, seems the most likely scenario. The question remains ‘which club’? The odds suggest Chelsea but another a London club feels more likely in my opinion with Tottenham and Arsenal both in the running.

Number 2. Thomas Partey

After spending eight years in Madrid with Atletico it is beginning to feel inevitable that Partey moves on to pastures new in the summer. The side most heavily linked is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal. They are said to be willing to meet his release clause and it’s believed Partey is keen on such a switch. He’ll be a huge success at the Emirates too with his combative and powerful style something the Gunnners have lacked for far too long. It won’t be amazing news for Atletico though. 

The Ghanaian has been a consistent figure in the middle of Diego Simeone’s midfield and will leave a substantial hole to fill if he does, as expected, leave. It could be another window of wheeling and dealing for Simeone.

Number 1. Gareth Bale

Yep. It looks set to be yet another couple of months filled with talk of Bale and Zinedine Zidane rumours. The pair clearly don’t see eye to eye and eventually that means the player leaves. It nearly happened last summer but a move to China fell through as Zidane pulled the plug. 12 months on, nothing has really changed. Bale still plays a role for Real. He puts in a decent shift, but the relationship is stale – with the fans too. 

The whole ‘Wales, golf, Madrid’ incident hardly helped that situation but there will be a queue lining up for what is still a world class talent. Where he ends up? 

Your guess is as good as mine, but I don’t rule out an eye-watering contract in the US with former Real icon David Beckham on the lookout for a global name for Inter Miami. The only way that Inter Miami would rival the other sport franchises of the city like Miami Heat and the team currently considered the worst in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, would be attracting some massive names of the sport. Bale might be a good shout.

There you have it, five La Liga players who could be on the move in the transfer window. Who else are you tipping to get a transfer?