Deadline day in La Liga saw a couple of highly rated Premier League stars arrive in Spain at clubs who are vying for a top-four place, and Champions League status.
Real Betis were the first to move, in a frantic last 24 hours to secure the services of Leicester forward Ayoze Perez on a loan deal until the end of the season. Betis currently sit sixth in the league table, three points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth and with a game in hand.
The winger arrived at the club as Real Betis prepare for a match against league leaders Barcelona on Wednesday, a match we previewed here at SBOTOP, but that clash will be a day or so too soon for him to make a start, though he will expect to feature before long. Perez started his career at his local club Tenerife before moving to Newcastle United in 2014 and now, at 29 years of age, he returns to Spain to make his first appearance in the Primera Division. He was free to negotiate this deal as his contract at the King Power Stadium expires at the end of the season and, if all goes well, head coach Manuel Pellegrini will make the move permanent.
Perez is a lively customer who can shoot with both feet and he’s sure to provide some La Liga 2023 highlights for Betis fans in their push for European football. Leicester City shelled out £30m to sign him in 2019 and he will bring more star quality to the Betis attack, which already has gifted forwards in Borja Iglesias, Nabil Fekir, and Juanmi.
Matt Doherty is another Premier League star making his way to Spain in a move from Spurs to Atletico Madrid after his club released him from his contract at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium… in a dramatic late twist on deadline day. A new FIFA rule states that a club can loan no more than eight players out on temporary deals during a campaign and Spurs have already hit that level, including a move to Sevilla for winger Byan Gil on Monday. Irish international Doherty is a fine defender as well as providing support in attack and he will pose serious competition for Nahuel Molina.
No German move for Isco
Real Madrid legend Isco is without a club after his proposed move to Bundesliga high flyers Union Berlin collapsed in the 11th hour. He is a free agent having departed Sevilla in December and Berlin were set to sign him on an 18-month contract which would have been quite a coup. But, late on Tuesday, officials at the German club said expectations exceeded their limits and so the move is off.
Isco went to Berlin for a medical but when negotiations on terms stalled he left the building without signing, which was a blow for both player and club. He desperately needs to restart his career after struggling at Sevilla due to loss of form and injury. The 30 year old won five Champions League titles with Los Blancos and still has plenty to offer.
And Isco would have been a marquee signing for Union who sit second in the Bundesliga table and are real Champions League contenders.
Ins and outs at Atletico
The mainland European leagues were eclipsed by the Premier League once again, in terms of spending, as Chelsea splashed out another £107m to bring World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez to the club. The Blues had already lured Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge from Atletico Madrid who also lost Brazilian striker Matheus Cunha to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
But Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has made some shrewd signings. His deadline-day move to bring defender Doherty to the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium followed the arrival of a proven striker. Memphis Depay’s move to Atletico from Barcelona helped the Blaugrana to balance the books, and the Dutch star is now set to strike up a lethal partnership with the returned Antoine Griezmann. It could turn out to be one of the key transfers from the last 12 months which will give Simeone a fresh look in his attack following the departure of Felix. Depay made his name as a striker for PSV Eindhoven before moving to Manchester United. While he struggled to settle at Old Trafford the World Cup star was prolific at Lyon, scoring 63 goals in 139 appearances, before joining Barca, where he scored 14 goals in 42 games.
The arrival of Robert Lewandowski meant Xavi could offload his striker and that could be great news for Atleti. The La Liga 2023 betting odds back los Rojiblancos to make a top four place and, after a patchy first half of the campaign they are still well placed after a decent transfer window.
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