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LaLiga: Which teams won and lost in the transfer window?

Did the transfer window slam shut or did it simply close? Either way, the squads for the rest of the season are now complete in LaLiga. Which teams did the best business this month and which saw an opportunity pass them by?


THE WINNERS

Barcelona

When you find yourself sitting at the top of the table – with a significant advantage – the natural reaction is to stick rather than twist. Barcelona are in cruise control at the moment and no other team is coming close to matching their consistency. With key rivals either off the pace or in turmoil, there appears little reason to tinker with a winning formula. But being the best doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement either. Just ask Manchester City about that.

Philippe Coutinho was the one which got away from Barcelona in the summer after a lengthy battle with Liverpool. Barcelona were determined to make it happen this month though – and they did. Coutinho isn’t Neymar’s replacement but will instead ease the pressure on Andres Iniesta.

Liverpool didn’t want to lose a key man mid season and who could blame them? They’re in the fight for a Champions League place in the Premier League plus are in the knockout stages of this season’s competition too. The player’s desire to move, alongside Mohammad Salah’s sensational start at Anfield, swung the pendulum in Barcelona’s favour.

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Yerry Mina is a fine prospect at centre back too. It’s an area which Barcelona are strong in but most are ageing stars. Mina is a signing for the present but with one eye on the future too.

Equally as important for the LaLiga leaders was getting rid of non-essential players on bumper contracts. Javier Mascherano’s trophy laden career came to an end and he’s now going to be a star in the Chinese Super League. Arda Turan, Rafinha and Gerard Deulofeu are all embarking on new adventures on a temporary basis. However all three will be sold should they perform at their respective new clubs.

Atletico Madrid

The opening six months of the season at Atletico have been surprisingly disappointing. Whereas you traditionally associate results over performance with Diego Simeone they are falling short in both fields this term. An early exit in the Champions League and struggling to keep pace with Barcelona in the league are major concerns.

There was something missing, a spark, someone who could turn this team around. Now they have it in Diego Costa.

If Atletico were a film, Costa would be Simeone’s love interest who married the wrong person. Unable to come to terms with the prospect of living without him, Simeone engaged in public declarations of love to win his former flame over. After a lot of flirting the two are finally reunited and the audience cheers as the credits roll.

The influence and experience of Costa is already proving vital. It’s given Antoine Griezmann the kick up the backside he very much needed. The team looks a lot more dangerous in attack now. The addition of Vitolo too will see the squad improve. Much like Costa, Vitolo puts pressure on those already in the team to perform and we’re seeing evidence of that in Yannick Carrasco’s upturn in form.

A disappointing exit in the Copa del Rey shouldn’t dishearten too many die hard Atletico fans. With two key additions they will mount an assault on the Europa League, a competition they have a rich history in. After a few barren years in terms of trophies, this could be the catalyst to Atletico springboarding themselves back into the big time.

Sevilla

The concern amongst Sevilla fans following the exit of Monchi would be whether the club could continue to find good value for money in the transfer market. Unable to offer the riches of other top European sides, Sevilla instead offered opportunities to players who had ambitions of reaching the elite. Like the Million Dollar Man, they operated with an ‘everybody’s got a price’ outlook. When a key player left for a large sum they would be replaced by someone for a much cheaper fee. Chess masters in the transfer world.

After parting company with Eduardo Berizzo, a decision criticised from those unable to detach sentiment from the clear evidence of the non-football on show, there was a concern the wheels were coming off at Sevilla. All this despite still being in every competition available to them and the race for a top four finish. The style and substance wasn’t what the board or fans were expecting. The squad felt flat.

Guilherme Arana and Miguel Layun increase the options available to new coach Vincenzo Montella at full back. Further forward and the return of Roque Mesa, initially on loan, is exactly what they need in middle of the park. Mesa’s time in the Premier League was largely forgettable but in LaLiga he’s proven his quality for years. It eases the burden on Ever Banega who is the current chief creator. And in attack another Premier League loanee, Sandro Ramirez, will look to get his career back on track. He’ll push Luis Muriel and Wissam Ben Yedder to up their game as well as try to rediscover his own form in front of goal.

Honourable mentions: Athletic Club, Deportivo Alaves, Real Betis and Malaga

THE LOSERS

Real Madrid

It’s been quite the sobering six months for Zinedine Zidane. After the euphoria of winning back to back Champions League titles came the mother of all hangovers. The predictions of world domination are quickly disappearing as Real Madrid stumble from one disaster to another. And it feels strange to say this when you consider he’s already won three titles this season!

For the fans as well as outsiders it’s the performances in the league which are of the most concern. Barcelona continue to race away and underlined that with an emphatic 3-0 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu. Zidane’s decision to show loyalty to the squad instead of adding more depth is coming back to haunt him. He, like those before him, is finding out that in the results game it’s the coach’s head which is first on the chopping block.

January offered the Frenchman a chance to re-write the wrongs of the summer. Whilst loyalty is a nice concept, none of the players would ‘quit’ in protest of his sacking either. Real Madrid aren’t short of money but once again Zidane chooses not to take a risk. Contrast that with the attitude of Barcelona and maybe we’re seeing the first real weakness in Zidane’s armoury.

Real Madrid don’t like falling short and need to regain that ruthless streak if they are to turn their fortunes around. While January can be a difficult time to bring big players in, we’ve also seen it isn’t impossible either. Zidane needs to challenge his squad and put pressure on them to perform. Right now it’s all too comfortable. This was an opportunity to shake things up and Zidane didn’t take it. Will he get another chance or will Florentino Perez assume control over transfer activity again?

Real Sociedad

Nothing encapsulates the situation in San Sebastian right now quite like your club captain leaving to join your arch rivals. Iñigo Martinez’s move hurt but his words afterwards cut even deeper. “I’m coming to a huge club where the objective is always to be near the top. Here (at Athletic Club) finishing midtable isn’t good enough.” There’s a crisis of confidence at La Real and Martinez’s exit only proves that.

I suppose these are moments every club just below the top six goes through. How do you bridge the gap and make that step up to challenge the richer teams on the pitch? The problems start when the progress begins to stagnate and your better players get itchy feet, they perhaps feel their ambition isn’t being matched by the club. Right now, La Real are at that very crossroads.

Real Sociedad fans aren’t demanding European football every season but they want to feel like their club is going forward. With just one victory in their last ten matches, they are hitting something of a brick wall. At present La Real are closer to the relegation places than they are a Europa League spot. That isn’t good enough. If you don’t show any ambition to turn the situation around at the start of the transfer window, how can you expect players to stick around?

Espanyol

Quique Sanchez Flores is in a similar situation to Eusebio at Real Sociedad. Espanyol are unlikely to challenge the elite teams but they can at least be competitive. The opportunity to manage Stoke City was an interesting one but he ultimately stuck with Espanyol. I wonder if he felt this might inspire the club to push the boat out a little more, to prove they are the best place for him. If that was the hope he’ll be feeling disappointed this morning.

The squad is already thin and losing Javi Fuego doesn’t help address that. Hernan Perez, Alvaro Vazquez and Pape Diop all left the club this month in search of more regular playing time. The only addition to the squad was the loan of Carlos Sanchez to cover Fuego’s exit.

For an ambitious owner who wants Champions League football in the near future, he needs to back his manager in the transfer market. If that means overhauling the current system in place, so be it. If not then I can’t see Quique turning down the next opportunity he has to leave.

Honourable mentions: Levante, Las Palmas, Villarreal and Leganes