LaLiga season preview: Uncertainties plague Barcelona, Real Madrid ahead of start, Atletico look to pounce

Reigning champions Barcelona held boardroom discussions, made public declarations and insider conversations before reality struck: they can’t afford to bring Lionel Messi back to Camp Nou. They also lost two other stalwarts in Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

Void of experienced players and lack of depth remain key worries for Xavi Hernandez. That concern becomes greater with the club unable to register their new arrivals.

A year ago, the Catalans sold off various assets to raise much-needed funds to comply with the spending restrictions imposed on them. It allowed them to bring in season’s eventual highest goal-scorer, the Pichichi award winner, Robert Lewandowski.

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Twelve months on, Barcelona’s precarious financial situation remains and their approach in the market too. They’ve brought in an experienced Ilkay Gundogan from treble-winners Manchester City on a free transfer. Defender Iñigo Martinez, too, has joined on a free deal from Athletic Bilbao with Oriol Romeu paying €600,000 to fund his €4 million transfer from Girona.

Busquets’ departure is a big gap and the onus of filling that falls on Romeu.

“A player who has been so important for us, on and off the pitch… we have to find a very important player to replace Busquets,” Xavi had said in May. “We have to find this piece, if we want to compete well.”

Reportedly heading towards the exit door is winger Ousmane Dembele who is poised to join PSG. Franck Kessie has joined Al Ahli. There are further rumours of Napoli showing interest in Clement Lenglet and question marks persist over Ansu Fati’s future.

Barcelona’s financial struggles, though, has seen them register just 13 players – a situation that has persisted for a second season running. But with Kessie leaving and Dembele on the verge of it, coupled with expectations of additional funds, Xavi could have a larger squad to pick from when they play Getafe in the season opener.

Like Barcelona, Real Madrid have bolstered their squad but a giant Karim Benzema-shaped question mark stands in front of goal. The club has a storied history of world-class scorers in Alfredo Di Stefano, Hugo Sanchez, Raul Gonzalez, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. Going into the 2023-24 season, that gap stands out.

Benzema, arguably Real Madrid’s best player in the last few years and last year’s Ballon d’Or winner, made the big money move to Saudi Arabia. Los Blancos are yet to find a suitable replacement with Kylian Mbappe, again, being linked heavily.

In an attempt to bridge last season’s 10-point gap with Barcelona, Madrid splashed out 103 million euros on Jude Bellingham and swooped for Turkish prodigy Arda Guler.

But Frenchman Mbappe, who has scored 212 goals in 260 games for Paris Saint-Germain, is the player they have long targeted. After the striker decided to stay in Paris last year, he is once again leading the rumour mill. He’s been forced to train with the reserves after refusing to extend his contract or leave the club now – when the Ligue 1 champions can get some value for him.

PSG are thought to suspect that Mbappe has already struck a deal to join Real Madrid for free in June 2024, but Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has steered clear of the subject.

Mbappe “is a player who is not at Madrid,” Ancelotti said last month. “To talk about players who are not here, it doesn’t seem right to me.”

With no clarity on Mbappe and his future, Vinicius Jr. is set to become the focal point of the attack after inheriting the No 7 worn by Ronaldo, Raul and Emilio Butragueno.

In the absence of a forward, Ancelotti plans to experiment with the attacking potential of Bellingham and Guler, with veteran striker Joselu making a surprise return to his former club.

The 33-year-old journeyman, who played two games for Madrid in 2011, finished as the top-scoring Spaniard with 16 goals for Espanyol last season – earning him the Zarra Trophy.

With both Barcelona and Real Madrid once again dealing with transitions amid key changes to the squad, it opens the door for Atletico Madrid. From a dreadful start to the season, the Rojiblancos improved to pile up the most points in the second half of the season.

Diego Simeone looked more out than in amid a run where they picked just one win from six matches after matchday 16. In the second half, Atleti won 14 of the 19 matches including six in a row.

Simeone, entering his 12th season, and Atletico Madrid have kept the core of the squad in attack and midfield while boosting the defence with Cesar Azpilicueta, Caglar Soyuncu and Javi Galan.

Once again, there is uncertainty over the futures of Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata. Joao Felix, the club’s record signing in 2019, is not viewed as part of the plans. After an unsuccessful loan spell at Chelsea, he’s not earned himself many suitors despite publicly declaring he has always fancied a move to Barcelona.

Morata, who has had spells at Real Madrid, Juventus, Chelsea and Atletico Madrid, has never quite settled at any of them. Despite reported interest from clubs in Italy like Inter and AS Roma, Morata looks set to stay and see the attack be led by Antoine Griezmann.

“We are excited with the start of the league,” Simeone said. “We know it’s going to be very competitive.”

Battle for fourth

If the champions have shuffled over the last five years, the fourth place – a coveted last UEFA Champions League spot – remained consistent up until last season. Following three straight years of Sevilla finishing in third, Real Sociedad produced their first top-four finish in a decade.

Coming into the season, they lost veteran midfielder David Silva to a serious injury. The Spaniard subsequently retired in what would be a massive blow to the league. La Real have brought in Portugal forward Andre Silva on loan and retained most of the squad from the previous season.

Expected to give them a challenge are a much-changed Sevilla, Villarreal and Real Betis. Jose Luis Mendilibar is now in-charge at Sevilla after a rocky season that saw them flirt with relegation before, absurdly, catapulting to 12th and winning the Europa League title. A new era is in play can be ascertained by the fact that sporting director Monchi, an influential figure at the club, departed after 20 years.

Quique Setien’s Villarreal, fifth last term, are rebuilding after losing Nicolas Jackson and Pau Torres to the Premier League, and Samuel Chukwueze to AC Milan.

Real Betis are another contender to challenge for fourth place after adding Isco and Marc Roca despite a tight budget. An injury to William Carvalho on the stroke of season’s start does add to Manuel Pellegrini’s concerns with the club yet to register the new signings or the renewed players.

Teams back in Spain’s top division after promotion are Granda, Las Palmas and Deportivo Alaves. Granada are back in the top flight immediately after going down; Alaves progressed by winning the playoffs and Las Palmas return after a five-year absence.

Elsewhere in Spain

Osasuna performed well above expectations to finish runners-up in the Copa del Rey and seventh in the league. They have been duly rewarded with a place in the Europa Conference League. Athletic Bilbao, will once again hope to push under Ernesto Valverde, after missing out on European spot on the last day of the season.

Celta Vigo have former Real Madrid manager Rafa Benitez at the helm which has brought some optimism. Turning 100 years old, Celta would be keen on not risking relegation and repeating the misery of going into winless runs similar to last season.

Another club turning 100 is Rayo Vallecano. Their centenary will come towards the end of the season (May 29) but given how the squad looks weaker without Fran Garcia, Santi Comesana and Alejandro Catena, alongside the club’s colossal mess off-the-pitch, expect a battle for survival for them.