Just six games to go and another season of the La Liga will be over. Good to see that it wasn’t a two-horse race this season. Barcelona has a three-point lead over Atletico Madrid, who are one point clear of rivals Real Madrid. Four points separating the top 3 as we head towards an exciting end of the season.
Now as the season approaches its end, the opening day of the summer transfer window gets closer and closer. The window isn’t even open yet and still we see new rumours every day. With the ageing squad, I’m pretty sure clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona will be in the market for sure.
Let’s take a look at 4 players who are mostly going to leave their club this summer.
Aymeric Laporte
Aged 21, Aymeric Laporte is attracting the attention of all the major clubs from around the world. Currently playing at Athletic Bilbao, the young defender has a lot of potential and he might just be ready to play for a club which is in the Champions League.
Athletic Bilbao is currently 6th in La Liga, a point behind Celta Vigo and 2 clear of Sevilla in 7th. But they are 9 points off 4th placed Villarreal. They might make it into the Europa League if they don’t slip up but I think Laporte is ready for Champions League football.
Laporte has played a crucial role in the club’s successful run in this season as well as the previous one. His marking and tackling techniques are absolutely brilliant and the fact that he is just 21 means wherever he goes, he’ll be a long-term employee.
As the window opens, there surely will be numerous offers for the young Frenchman. Manchester City and Barcelona are the two clubs which are linked with him as of now. Guardiola wants the young defender at Man City and will be offering a handsome amount for his signature.
Isco
It is surprising to see Real Madrid, not including a player like Isco in the starting eleven. The 22-year-old will be surely heading towards the exit at Madrid as he finds himself well below the pecking order as Madrid are set to play Jese and James Rodriguez ahead of him.
Real Madrid is currently in the third position, a point behind their local rivals. They already have good attack-minded players and in spite of that, they will surely be active in the market so letting go of Isco would be relatively easy for them.
Isco, still, has stepped up for the Los Blancos when Gareth Bale was injured. Being a natural attacking midfielder, he has played as a winger and still put in a decent performance. In other words, he does deserve a club which offers him regular football time.
A move to either Juventus or Liverpool is on the cards for Isco. These are just rumours, but there will surely be offers on the table for the Spaniard who is just 22 years old now. Even Pep Guardiola might be interested in getting him to Manchester City.
Nolito
People who don’t follow La Liga might not be familiar with Nolito. Let me talk about him in short – He’s a 29-year-old striker who can also play as a winger, currently playing for Celta Vigo (who are in 5th place). Nolito has managed to score 11 goals and provide 6 assists this season.
Yes, his stats might not look very impressive on paper, but on the pitch, he has proven that he is a very important player in his side. He is Celtic’s joint leading goal scorer with Iago Aspas and has played a significant role in bringing them up to 5th place.
Nolito almost joined Barcelona in January but the move fell through. He was going to be kept as a backup if in case either one of Suarez, Messi or Neymar were unavailable. I feel he is too good to be just a backup for any club.
Barcelona is still interested and so is Arsenal, according to a few reports. Even Atletico Madrid need a striker so they might swoop in anytime. There is definite interest from many teams, and once the window opens, we’ll know where Nolito goes.
Sofiane Feghouli
A midfielder born in France who represents Algeria on an international level and currently plays in Spain with Valencia. Sofiane Feghouli has been loyal to Valencia 2010. Valencia were a top four side but have been struggling lately.
Valencia’s worst fear would be losing their star winger this summer and that too, for free. Yes, Feghouli’s contract comes to an end this summer and we still don’t know if he will stay or leave in the upcoming window.
To add fuel to the fire, just a few days ago, Valencia suspended the 26-year-old Algerian international due to disciplinary issues. Reportedly, Feghouli didn’t take part in training and hence, he was suspended by the club.
Valencia are not even in the top half of the table and with this suspension he has received, it seems like Feghouli will certainly consider his options in the summer. Manchester United are looking for a winger, and Feghouli could turn out to be the perfect signing for them.
