kickbola runs through the players who have made the biggest impression at their new clubs...
As we approach the end of the year, it's time to pull out the mid-term report cards to assess how the summer signings have performed so far in La Liga de las Estrellas.
As we approach the end of the year, it's time to pull out the mid-term report cards to assess how the summer signings have performed so far in La Liga de las Estrellas.
kickbola
gives its take on which 10 players have stood out the most for their new clubs during the first half of the Liga BBVA season.
| 10 | Pablo Osvaldo Espanyol | The Argentine-born Italian initially joined Espanyol on loan in January 2010 from Bologna but made his move to the Cornella-El Prat permanent this summer for around €5 million. After scoring seven goals in his 20 half-a-season appearances last term, he has already bagged six goals in 11 outings for the Blanc-i-Blau so far. It's a more than respectable return for an under-rated striker, one who is a key component in an Espanyol side lacking a reliable finisher. CASTROL RANKING: 37 |
| 9 | Filipe Luis Atletico Madrid | Atletico Madrid's backline may not be the most solid defence in the world, but one player in the side who has been a stand-out is Filipe Luis, signed from Deportivo La Coruna for €12m. The archetypal marauding Brazilian full-back is not only a consistent performer at the back, but his wing play gives Atleti extra width and dimension in attack. CASTROL RANKING: 1026 |
| 8 | Tino Costa Valencia | Despite a fairly hefty price tag of €6.5m, Tino arrived in La Liga from Montpellier as a virtual unknown. But it didn't take long for followers of Spanish football to stand up and take notice of the 24-year-old midfielder with a killer left foot when he scored a gem of a goal on Matchday One of the Champions League. Not content with that, his two goals in La Liga so far have been absolute show-stoppers: a volley against Getafe, and a Roberto Carlos-esque free-kick against Real Sociedad. CASTROL RANKING: 157 |
| 7 | Roberto Soldado Valencia | Soldado just edged his Valencia team-mate Aritz Aduriz into the top 10. Signed from Getafe for €8m as a replacement for David Villa, Soldado has a better conversion rate in La Liga - five goals in 1029 minutes - compared to Aduriz's six in 1136 minutes. Plus, Soldado has been more consistent and prolific in Champions League competition. CASTROL RANKING: 45 |
| 6 | Mesut Oezil Real Madrid | Kaka who? Young Oezil has made Real Madrid fans forget all about Kaka's long-term injury spell thanks to his dazzling, vibrant displays in attack. The German playmaker, signed from Werder Bremen for €15m, picked up where he left off at the 2010 World Cup, adapting quickly to his new club environment to become one of Los Blancos' most important players so far this term, as his four goals and six assists will attest. CASTROL RANKING: 53 |
| 5 | Borja Valero Villarreal | The crafty deep-lying playmaker may only be at Villarreal on loan from West Brom, but he has made an instant impact at El Madrigal. Voted as the Best Spanish Player in the 2009-10 season by Don Balon during his loan stint with Mallorca, Borja has carried that form with him to El Submarino. He has been rewarded for his consistency with his first ever call-up to the senior Spanish national team in October, not an easy feat to achieve these days. CASTROL RANKING: 238 |
| 4 | Angel Di Maria Real Madrid | The Argentine was Real Madrid's most expensive signing this summer when he moved from Benfica for €25m. The versatile winger has come to his team's rescue on numerous occasions so far, either providing sumptuous assists or scoring vital goals when Los Blancos were in need of some inspirational magic. In 16 La Liga games, he has netted five times and created four others. CASTROL RANKING: 819 |
| 3 | David Villa Barcelona | 'El Guaje' took a while to get going in a Barcelona shirt following his €40m move from Valencia. His first two months were littered with highlights of glaring misses and wayward shots, and a vast collection of offsides. But as his Barca team-mates clicked into gear after a tepid start to the campaign, so has Villa and he is once again demonstrating his prolific scoring touch: nine goals in the last eight La Liga games of 2010, he is now third in the Pichichi race. CASTROL RANKING: 13 |
| 2 | David Trezeguet Hercules | The most typical of typical target strikers, Trezeguet has wasted no time making his mark in La Liga with tiny Hercules. The 33-year-old, signed on a free from Juventus, has netted against Valencia, Sevilla, Villarreal and Real Madrid among others. He has scored eight goals in total in 14 starts, just three shy of Villa at this stage of the season, but with nowhere near the attacking luxuries that the Barca forward has at his disposal. CASTROL RANKING: 630 |
| 1 | Ricardo Carvalho Real Madrid | Never would anyone have thought that the best bit of business done by Real Madrid would involve a defender. It may not come as a surprise for some that Carvalho has impressed - considering his experience and his understanding with coach Jose Mourinho - but it is something of a surprise that he has settled in so quickly and effortlessly in a Madrid side that perenially suffers from defensive woes. And for a bargain price of just €8m, he is La Liga's best summer signing. CASTROL RANKING: 63 |
