La Liga transfers see some of the most famous players in football move to and from Spain’s top division. Betting on transfers has become very popular among punters from all corners of the globe, and with the right strategy, can become highly profitable. In this article, we delve into all things related to La Liga transfers in 2022/23 season, as well as offer useful tips and insights for upcoming transfer markets.
- 1 Important La Liga Transfer Dates – 2022/23
- 2 La Liga Transfers: Latest News & Summer Signings
- 3 Latest La Liga Manager Specials
- 4 The 10 Biggest La Liga Transfers – 2022/23
- 5 The 10 Biggest Transfer Deals in La Liga History
- 6 Tips for Betting on La Liga Transfers
- 7 Transfer Betting in Other European Leagues
- 8 The PuntersPage Final Say
- 9 La Liga Transfers Betting – FAQs
Important La Liga Transfer Dates – 2022/23
2022/23 Summer Transfer Window
Opens: 10 June 2022; Closes: 1 September 2022 (11:59pm)
2022/23 January Transfer Window
Opens: 1 January 2023 (00:00am); Closes: 31 January 2023 (11:59pm)
La Liga Transfers: Latest News & Summer Signings
Here’s the latest transfer news from across La Liga:
Barcelona Summer Transfers
Despite their financial ruin, Barcelona was incredibly busy this summer, with Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie having been confirmed as free agent arrivals. The former replaced Clement Lenglet, who joined Tottenham, while Kessie arrived to mitigate the impending exit of Frenkie de Jong, for whom Manchester United was negotiating a rather complex deal.
Adama Traore and Luuk de Jong returned to their respective clubs following their rather underwhelming loans in Catalonia. Ousmane Dembele, meanwhile, was likely to sign a new deal with La Blaugrana after his previous contract expired in June.
Barca was hopeful to complete a blockbuster move for wantaway Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, while Leeds United winger Raphinha was desperate to move to the Camp Nou. These were two deals they would be able to get over the line in the coming weeks.
Real Madrid Summer Transfers
Real Madrid made huge splashes, moving swiftly to secure the services of the highly-rated Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, in a deal worth up to €100m.
Tchouameni, much like Eduardo Camavinga did last season, will complement the venerated midfield trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.
Los Blancos also bolstered their defence by signing Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer. The German international developed into one of Europe’s best centre-backs over the past year and his presence could see Carlo Ancelotti utilise a back three at times next season. Otherwise, Rudiger could often partner David Alaba at the heart of Real’s backline.
The European champions were also eyeing a move for Bayern’s Serge Gnabry after they missed out on Kylian Mbappe. With Gareth Bale departing and Marco Asensio on the transfer block, a spot opened up in the depth chart.
Atletico Madrid Summer Transfers
Whether it’s Thomas Lemar or Joao Felix, Atletico Madrid love to spring a big-money surprise in the transfer market. However, the nature of Diego Simeone’s robust but ever-evolving system means the splashing out on mercurial talent has rarely succeeded at the Wanda.
Felix was linked with a move away this summer, but it’d take an astronomical fee to prise him away.
Much of the focus at Atletico was on outgoings, with Sime Vrsaljko, Hector Herrera and Luis Suarez all leaving the club as free agents.
Saul Niguez was back, following his forgettable loan spell at Chelsea, as was Alvaro Morata – who long seemed destined to sign permanently with Juventus, but has returned to Atleti after the two clubs failed to reach a compromise over the permanent fee.
Simeone targeted a new right-back, with Spurs’ Emerson Royal and Udinese’s Nahuel Molina linked. The boss was also hopeful of retaining the services of Renan Lodi at left-back. Additionally, a new centre-back and centre forward were on the plans for this summer.
Rest of La Liga Player Transfer Updates
Following a quiet start to the window for the rest of La Liga clubs, the pace at which deals were being made did increase as the days were passing.
The most expensive purchase among clubs outside of the ‘Big Three’ was Real Sociedad’s deal to sign Angers forward Mohamed Ali-Cho for £10.8m. The young striker arrived to complement Swedish star Alexander Isak and replace Willian Jose, who departed for Real Betis permanently in San Sebastian.
Sevilla lost Diego Carlos to Aston Villa and Jules Kounde to Barcelona. Chelsea was linked with a move for the French centre-back, who opted for a move to Nou Camp.
Another highly-rated La Liga centre-back, Pau Torres, looked set to stay at Villarreal. The Spaniard was linked with a move to Spurs, but the Lilywhites’ interest has cooled.
Valencia was a club to follow during this transfer market. Peter Lim’s financial mismanagement means they’d spend the offseason attempting to balance their books. However, they'd still to manage the interest for their biggest star, Carlos Soler.
Latest La Liga Manager Specials
With Barcelona buying into Xavi Hernandez’s project and Diego Simeone poised to coach Atletico Madrid on his deathbed, much of the managerial talk among La Liga’s big boys concerned to Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti guided Los Blancos to a league and Champions League double in 2021/22, but he was expected to part ways with the club for a second time and enjoy his retirement.
These were the odds offered for the next Real Madrid boss betting market:
| Manager | Odds | Implied Probability |
|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Pochettino | 6/4 | 40% |
| Raul | 5/1 | 16.7% |
| Thomas Tuchel | 7/1 | 12.5% |
| Antonio Conte | 10/1 | 9.1% |
| Zinedine Zidane | 12/1 | 7.7% |
| Didier Deschamps | 20/1 | 4.8% |
| Jose Mourinho | 20/1 | 4.8% |
| Julen Lopetegui | 20/1 | 4.8% |
| Guti | 52/1 | 1.9% |
The 10 Biggest La Liga Transfers – 2022/23
Despite their financial struggles, Barcelona was one of the busier teams in the market and made a few splashes outside of their usual remit. On the other hand, Real Madrid secured the most expensive signing, while Real Sociedad registered a couple of notorious arrivals.
Here are the biggest La Liga transfers from the 2022/23 season:
| Name | Team | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Aurelien Tchouameni | Real Madrid (from Monaco) | £80.0m |
| Raphinha | Barcelona (from Leeds) | £58.0m |
| Joules Kounde | Barcelona (from Sevilla) | £50.0m |
| Robert Lewandowski | Barcelona (from Bayern Munich) | £45.0m |
| Nahuel Molina | Atletico Madrid (from Udinese) | £20.0m |
| Umar Sadiq | Real Sociedad (from Almeria) | £20.0m |
| Tanguy Nianzou | Sevilla (from Bayern Munich) | £16.0m |
| Brais Mendez | Real Sociedad (from Celta Vigo) | £14.0m |
| Mohamed-Ali Cho | Real Sociedad (from Angers) | £13.0m |
| Marcão | Sevilla (from Galatasaray) | £13.0m |
The 10 Biggest Transfer Deals in La Liga History
La Liga has witnessed the most expensive transfers in history. Clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona, at the peak of their powers, were able to attract the leading lights of the game, luring even the top talent away from the Premier League and other top divisions in Europe.
Here are the most expensive La Liga transfers in history:
| Name | Team | Season | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philippe Coutinho | Barcelona (from Liverpool) | 2017/18 | £121.5m |
| Ousmane Dembele | Barcelona (from Borussia Dortmund) | 2017/18 | £121.5m |
| Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid (from Benfica) | 2019/20 | £114.50 |
| Antoine Griezmann | Barcelona (from Atletico Madrid) | 2019/20 | £108m |
| Eden Hazard | Real Madrid (from Chelsea) | 2019/20 | £103.5m |
| Gareth Bale | Real Madrid (from Tottenham) | 2013/14 | £90.1m |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid (from Manchester United) | 2009/10 | £84.6m |
| Aurelien Tchouameni | Real Madrid (from Monaco) | 2022/23 | £80.0m |
| Neymar | Barcelona (from Santos) | 2013/14 | £79.2m |
| Frenkie de Jong | Barcelona (from Ajax) | 2019/20 | £77.4m |
Tips for Betting on La Liga Transfers
Betting on La Liga transfers can be a difficult preposition due to the sheer amount of players that are linked with the leading clubs in the division. Hundreds of names will be tied to Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid, as well as Villarreal, Real Sociedad, Sevilla, and Valencia.
Rumours constantly swirl even when the transfer windows are closed. Therefore, betting on the right transfer can be a hard task. You never know when or where these deals will occur. Sometimes moves can come out of the blue, while transfers that have been reported to being close for a number of months will collapse at the last second. It can be a minefield without the right information.
We’ll now offer you the best tips for betting on La Liga transfers, drawing on our own experience.
1. Choose the Right Market
As you can see in this very guide, there is no shortage of La Liga transfer markets, so it can be a tough task to choose the right one to suit your betting needs.
There will be markets which allow you to bet on a player to move to a certain club, or even remain with a team by the end of a transfer window. Luckily, betting sites offer a variety of choices to line up the wager that you feel is appropriate and meets your prediction of La Liga transfers.
2. Find the Right Source
There are numerous pundits that claim to know every movement of players across Spain and La Liga. However, there are few that actually know the fine details. Finding the right source of information is key to success and gaining a step on the bookies to turn your wager into a successful one.
Guillem Balague is one of the best journalists for Spanish transfers, having been on the money with his coverage of the Lionel Messi saga. Following him on Twitter is a must for all savvy bettors. In addition, the Spanish newspaper Marca is also a good source of information, although it can occasionally overstate the intentions of Real Madrid and Barcelona. Mundo Deportivo, AS, and Estadio Deportivo are also worth considering for reliable news.
Weighing up the good information from the bad can make-or-break a successful wager. It is best to monitor the reliability of sources yourself by tracking their predictions and keeping a record to know who to trust and who not to in the future.
3. Shop Around for the Best Odds
A number of leading betting sites offer odds on transfer specials, meaning you can compare and contrast prices in order to get the best potential bang for your buck. Betting markets are open throughout the year, especially regarding the top players in the world who are linked with moves away from their respective clubs. The question is, when is the best time to bet on transfers?
The time to get optimum value on betting odds could be sooner rather than later. When it becomes clear that a player is on the verge of a move to a certain club, his odds will be slashed. Therefore, taking the chance when the odds are larger with a small stake gives you the best chance of earning a healthy profit.
The other strategy would be to use a large stake on the smaller odds, but there is always a small element of risk. For example, Messi was seemingly on the verge of signing a new deal at Barcelona before the club was forced to admit they could not afford the Argentine, prompting his transfer to PSG. With the odds in favour of Messi remaining in Barca, a substantial bet would have failed after the late U-turn.
4. Do Your Research
There’s nothing like grafting yourself to get ahead of the bookies with a bet. Researching the transfer markets and news on your own merit can be a worthwhile venture.
There are ample sources of information out there, such as transfermarkt.com, that provide information on contract status. If you know that a player is out of contract, he will more likely be on the move in the last year of his deal. Scouting around relevant clubs that match the quality of said player would allow you to cultivate a list of potential options.
Once the betting markets are released, you then have your own information at hand to wager quickly to get the best value, and potentially, a sizeable profit.
Transfer Betting in Other European Leagues
Transfer betting isn’t limited to just La Liga – bookmakers will offer markets for a variety of players from across Europe’s most popular leagues. Check out our guides to transfer betting in other European leagues below:
The PuntersPage Final Say
Transfer betting is becoming a prevalent market in online wagering in football. Attached to one of the most popular leagues in the world featuring two of the premier clubs in the form of Real Madrid and Barcelona, La Liga transfer wagering captures a significant amount of attention from football punters. In the above guide, we have broken down the best ways to find value and what markets to look out for when lining up a bet on these transfer markets.
It is now up to you to find the right bet to secure a profit!
La Liga Transfers Betting – FAQs
The La Liga summer transfer window opened on 10 June 2022, and closed just before midnight on 1 September.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are included in the transfer specials betting markets, although all La Liga clubs will have a presence depending on the player.
Philippe Coutinho is the most expensive player in the history of La Liga transfers. He signed for Barcelona from Liverpool in the 2017/18 season for £121.5m.