All About La Liga Summer Transfers & Preseason BetKing Bet Tips

The Spanish La Liga is one of the leagues still feeling the effects of the Covid19 pandemic financial hit.

So far, only 3 teams (Sevilla, Celta Vigo & Valencia) have recorded a positive net spend this transfer window while 2 teams (Rayo Vallecano & Athletic Bilbao) are yet to spend a single penny, rather opting for a strict Free-Agents/Loan transfer strategy.

Regardless, there has been an influx of exciting talents into the league that can boost your favorite La Liga teams (and your) chances of winning.

Here are some you should keep an eye on.

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich to Barcelona)

In the biggest transfer of the Spanish La Liga window, two-time FIFA The Best winner Robert Lewandowski made the move to Barcelona for €45.00m from Bayern Munich. The disgruntled Polish Striker won 7 of the last 9 Golden Boots in the Bundesliga and in the two seasons he didn’t win it, he finished 2nd. He’s already looked good in pre-season and is expected to provide a lot of excitement to Barcelona’s attack.

Raphina (Leeds United to Barcelona)

The entertaining Brazilian winger joins Barcelona for a reported €58.00m after two impressive seasons at Leeds United. Blessed with blistering pace, brilliant technical ability and an eye for goals, he is an incredible addition to a team with an already brilliant attack.

Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea to Real Madrid)

Antonio Rüdiger is arguably the steal of the transfer window. Landing a proven winner and world class Center-Back in his prime just weeks after winning La Liga & UEFA Champions League is fantastic business by Los Blancos. Antonio Rüdiger is a fast, intelligent & tactically flexible player who has proven he can play in a back-three and back-two at high levels. He’ll massively improve the quality and depth of the Real Madrid defence.

Jose Luis Morales (Levante to Villarreal)

Last season, Gerard Moreno’s long term injury affected Villarreal’s league performance as they could only manage a Europa Conference League spot. The addition of veteran forward Jose Luis Morales on a free transfer is smart for multiple reasons. With 21 G/A for Levante in 36 games, the 35-year-old could be the dependable cover in attack that the club needs as they try to push for a Champions League spot.

Aurélien Tchouaméni (Monaco to Real Madrid)

At €80.00m, Tchouaméni is the most expensive transfer on this list. The Frenchman is an incredible player who adds enormous quality to an already incredible midfield. A robust midfielder blessed with a lot of qualities such as pressing, tackling and passing, he will be a very good addition to the reigning league champions.

Franck Kessie (AC Milan to Barcelona)

The 25-year-old Ivorien was at the heart of an AC Milan team that won the Scudetto after a decade-long wait. He’s a solid presence in midfield and provides cover for the defence. With 41 goals and 16 assists in 204 Serie A games, Kessie is also a goal-threat and the Catalans will be hoping he brings this to the Spanish La Liga.

Axel Witsel (Dortmund to Atletico Madrid)

Last season, Atleti conceded 43 league goals which was the most since Diego Simeone’s first season at the club. He clearly felt his defence line needed better protection and he brought in the Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel on a free transfer. At 33, Witsel is very experienced and should serve as a dependable shield for the defence.

Jules Kounde (Sevilla to Barcelona)

Signed for €50.00m, the 23-year-old Frenchman has been one of the best center-backs in La Liga for the past two seasons and the expectation is that he’ll lead Barcelona’s backline for the next decade. With Pique already showing signs of a decline, Kounde is going to be thrown into the starting lineup from Day 1. Kounde is the fifth player to sign for Barça from Sevilla in the past decade. The others are Ivan Rakitic, Aleix Vidal, Clément Lenglet, and Luuk de Jong.

Joselu (Deportivo Alavés to Espanyol)

Espanyol have done some smart business in snapping up Joselu on a free transfer. Joselu was part of the Alavés side that ended bottom of La Liga Standings last season, but he managed to put up 19 G/A in 32 games for them. The 32-year-old finished 7th on La Liga’s top scorers list and is a replacement for Raul De Tomas who has requested to leave. With a move to a better team and playing under the highly regarded manager Diego Martinez, Joselu could perform even better.

Isco (Real Madrid to Sevilla)

After 9 successful seasons with Real Madrid where he won 5 Champions League trophies & 3 La Liga titles, the Spanish midfielder joined Sevilla on a free transfer. With the World Cup months away, this move was mainly driven by a search for playing time at the highest level and Sevilla provides that. In return, Isco brings loads of experience, creativity, and flexibility to one of the best teams in the country.

Valentin Castellanos (NYCFC – Girona)

Last season, Valentin Castellanos scored 23 goals & bagged 8 assists in all competitions as NYCFC were crowned MLS Champions while he also grabbed the Golden Boot. This season alone, he has continued his fine form with 17 goals & 6 assists making him the deadliest striker in America over the past 18-months. Replicating this form could be the difference between survival & relegation for newly promoted Girona.

Predrag Rajkovic (Stade Reims to Mallorca)

Predrag Rajkovic could prove to be Mallorca’s most important signing this season. The Serbian Goalie joins from Stade Reims after keeping double-figure clean-sheets in each of his 3 seasons. He’s also recorded 33 shutouts in 102 league games, conceding 111 goals in the process which is impressive.

Mohamed-Ali Cho (Angers) & Takefusa Kubo (Real Madrid) to Real Sociedad

Last season, Real Sociedead were top of La Liga standings after Matchday 13 and then they faded away in the second half of the season. This slump could be pinned on their attack which, despite finishing 6th, produced just 40 goals: a worse record than 2 of the 3 relegated teams. 18-year Mohamed-Ali Cho joins them from Angers. The highly rated striker was the second youngest player to sign a pro-contract in France (after Eduardo Camavinga) and comes in with a lot of expectations. Kubo also joins their attack from Real Madrid.

BETKING BETTING TIPS

Title win

As usual, there are only three real favorites for the title.

Real Madrid: Los Blancos started the season with a hard-fought come-from-behind 2-1 win away at Almeria on Sunday just like they did so often last season. The signings of Aurelien Tchouameni and Rudiger should complement the squad from last season nicely, allowing them to challenge on even more fronts.

At 2.00, they are the favorites for the title and the closest thing to a ‘sure thing’ in the Spanish La Liga this season.

Barcelona: The Catalan side (2.50) signed a whole fleet of high-profile players in the off-season, including Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christenses, Rapinha, and Franck Kessie. If they can get all these players registered in time and integrated into the first team squad quickly, Real Madrid will have a fight on their hands to retain the La Liga trophy. After drawing their first game at home against Rayo Vallaecano 0-0, however, Barcelona still has a lot of work to do to catch the Lilywhites.

Atletic Madrid: At 6.50, the other Madrid team are underdogs again this season, and rightly so. They do not have Real Madrid’s ability to consistently pull-out wins or Barcelona’s star power. What they do have is an abundance of fight that mirrors their combative Manager, Diego Simeone.

Top Four:

Real Madrid (1.07) & Barcelona (1.09) making the top 4 are locks but which other 2 teams will join them? Atletico Madrid (1.35) should be a safe choice as well (especially if they signed Cristiano Ronaldo like some have suggested) but then it gets tricky.

If Real Sociedad (4.75) can finally figure out a way to maintain their form all through the season, they could be a smart choice. Sevilla (2.3) are the bookies favourite to end up in the top 4 after doing so last season but losing their pair of starting Center-Backs (Jules Kounde & Diego Carlos) coupled with the challenge of playing in the Champions League could turn ou to be too much to overcome.

If you’re looking for a long shot, then Athletic Bilbao (7.00) could be that. Ernesto Valverde returns for his third stint as manager. The first time he oversaw the club, he took them to the top 4 and he already proved to be a winner by lifting the league title while at Barcelona. Athletic Bilbao have made it to the semis of the Copa Del Rey in the last 3 seasons and it feels like they’re due for something special, this time in the league.

Speaking of the Copa Del Rey, last season’s winners Real Betis (5.50) have an enticing chance of making the top 4. Club icon Joaquin Sanchez will be playing in his final season for them and delivering Champions League football to his beloved club could be a fairytale ending.

Lastly, Villarreal (3.50) are also one of the teams to keep an eye on. Admittedly, their exceptional run in European competitions over the last two seasons has taken its toll on their league form which has seen them finish 7th in consecutive seasons. If they can stay healthy, and finally figure out a balance between domestic and European competitions, they could make the top 4.

Bet on the highest La Liga odds around with BetKing today!

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