Home of the current European champions, the current Europa League champions and two of the greatest institutions throughout the history of football, there’s plenty of talent to be found in La Liga.
Furthermore, whilst we in the Premier League have developed a culture of splitting television revenues fairly evenly, over in Spain there’s a lot more disparity between Barcelona and Real Madrid and the rest of the pack, meaning the majority of La Liga stars and starlets can be sourced on the cheap.
With that in mind and Arsene Wenger’s adoration of developing young talent well known, here’s a list of FIVE La Liga starlets that should be giving the Arsenal boss food for thought.
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AYMERIC LAPORTE
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Already known to be on the Arsenal radar, Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte has been mooted by the tabloids as the ideal January signing to provide some much-needed depth to the Gunners defence:
The 20 year-old has enjoyed some fantastic form since his La Liga debut in December 2012, last term playing a major role in the Basque outfit’s Champions League qualification with 35 league appearances. This year, his performances have reached an even higher level, with the young Frenchman currently fifth in La Liga’s interceptions rankings:
Here’s a more eclectic look at Laporte’s stats over the last few campaigns:
The beauty of signing Laporte from Arsenal’s point of view that although he’s more than capable of challenging for a regular first team role, he won’t be too disappointed in playing second fiddle to Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker for extended periods. He can also slot in at left-back – a position where the north Londoners have really struggled with injuries this season. Even so, the France U21 is rated at around £30million, whilst known long-term interest from several other top European sides could be another stumbling block for the Gunners:
Leo Baptistao
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Famed for his diminutive style, agile frame and netting prowess, Brazilian hotshot Leo Baptistao is often referred to as ‘the second-best Leo in La Liga’ – after Lionel Messi, obviously. Here’s the striker putting Angel Di Maria on his backside:
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The 22 year-old rose to acclaim after bagging six goals and seven assists from 28 league appearances during his debut campaign with Rayo Vallecano, triggering a move to Atletico Madrid in summer 2013.
Things didn’t work out too well with the Mattress Makers and the young Brazilian is now back with Los Vallecanos on loan. Once again, his form in front of goal is attracting attention:
The majority of his finishes are simple but effective, such as this strike against Eibar:
Atletico spent a combined €63million on forwards Antoine Griezmann, Mario Mandzukic and Raul Jiminez last summer, so it remains to be seen if room can be made for Baptistao at Vincente Calderon when his loan spell comes to an end. Should the La Liga champions look to sell, Arsenal would be wise to pick up the pieces. There’s no doubting the 5 foot 11 front-man’s pedigree – he played for the same junior side as Barcelona star Neymar: //www.youtube.com/embed/IUUaTg-ijWA?rel=0
PACO ALCACER
Another young La Liga striker already known to have caught Arsenal’s attention is Valencia prodigy Paco Alcacer:
The 21 year-old has been more than reliable in the final third for Los Che since becoming a starting Xi regular last season, as detailed below:
In fact, that’s propelled him to the forefront of Vincente del Bosque’s plans for the Spanish national team, and Alcacer now has three goals and five caps for La Roja following his September debut. Here’s a clip of the 5 foot 9 forward in action:
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Fernando Torres-esque dare I say? Boasting no defining attribute but an impressive, effective all-round game.
Most appealingly, Alcacer currently has a £15million release clause in his contract, leading one publication to dub him ‘the Bargain of Europe’ earlier this season. A new deal has been reported as in the offing for some time, allegedly bumping up his buy-out to £40million:
But nothing’s materialised just yet and we’re now just a month from the January window, suggesting Alcacer could be prized away in the New Year.
Fede Cartabia
There must be something in the water at the Mestalla – fellow Valencia academy product Fede Cartabia has also emerged as one of La Liga’s hottest prospects this season. The young winger is currently on loan at Cordoba and has amassed a decent return of three goals and three assists in twelve La Liga outings. Here’s a clip of Cartabia in action: //www.youtube.com/embed/zmUCdkoym48?rel=0 Most impressively however, the 21 year-old is establishing himself as one of the Spanish top flight’s most proficient dribblers – despite immense competition – with his current average only matched by a certain Lionel Messi:
He turns out pretty decent on Football Manager 15 too:
Already looking a level above Los Califas, it’s likely Valencia will want Cartabia at the heart of their first team next season. Even so however, having demonstrated his enormous potential in the early part of the season, the Gunners would be wise to attempt a swoop for the flamboyant wideman next summer.
Grzegorz Krychowiak
The lack of physical presence in Arsenal’s midfield is well known and one tabloid-sourced solution comes in the form of Sevilla’s Grzegorz Krychowiak:
The 24 year-old only joined the Sevillistas from Reims this summer as a replacement for Barcelona-bound Ivan Rakitic, but he’s already cementing a reputation as one of La Liga’s top enforcers. Here’s a look at his vitals over the last few years:
It remains to be seen if the Poland international’s impressive form is sustainable, but that mixture of aerial dominance and industry represents exactly what the Gunners lack in the middle of the park.
Having signed for Sevilla just a matter of months ago however, if Arsene Wenger wishes to sign Krychowiak in January, it could set him back as much as £20million according to some reports:
It could be worth the punt however – here’s a clip of the midfielder in action:
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