The euphoria of the Euro 2012 is now behind us, and clubs are getting back to the reality of putting together their squads for next season. For the third year in a row the effects of the ever-deepening crisis are taking their toll, and the days of the big money transfers are gone, at least here in Spain. Even Real Madrid and Barcelona are cutting costs, although Madrid could start spending a bit of cash if they can entice Modric and Maicon away from their respective clubs. The big spenders are now in countries like China though (Middle East owners permitting), and even Barça couldn't tie up Kanouté or hold on to Keita after they received much better offers from the land of the dragon. Life goes on however, many sides relying on their youth policies, and clubs like Granada and Deportivo are looking for alliances with other teams to keep going. You have to do the best you can under the circumstances. (15.07.12)
Player (Country) | Current club | New club | Position/Comments |
Keita (MAL) | Barcelona | Dalian Aerbin (CHN) | MF Got an offer he couldn't refuse from China more than doubling his salary, and will therefore be leaving Nou Camp. |
Kanouté (MAL) | Sevilla | Beijing Guoan (CHN) | FW Leaves club after 7 great years. Talk of even joining Barça but in the end preferred mega-offer from China to big money move to Emirates. |
Altintop (TKY) | Real Madrid | Galatasaray (TKY) | DF Deal on, off and on again. Fee of 3.5 Mio, and player gets the salary he wanted to return home. |
Morata | Real Madrid Castilla | Real Madrid | FW Rare event at Madrid, a youngster promoted to the first team. Hope he wont go the way of Soldado, Mata, Negredo, Borja Valero, Javi García etc. |
Dani Carvajal | Real Madrid Castilla | Bayer Leverkusen (GER) | DF Another "Mirlo" flies the nest! Mou wants a more corpulent right back, so transferred him out for 5 Mio. Buy back clause though over next 2 years. |
Pablo Gil | Real Madrid Castilla | Sparta Prague (CZE) | DF Out of contract, and agrees terms to move to Sparta, first ever Spaniard to do so. |
Joel Campbell (CRI) | Arsenal (ENG) / Lorient (FRA) | Betis | FW Another promising youngster moves on loan deal. Has already played 14 times for Costa Rica, and even scored against Spain! |
Juan Carlos | Sporting Braga / Zaragoza | Betis | FW Didn't play much at Zaragoza, so agrees to loan move to Betis. Rights (we believe) for ex Mirlo belong to Braga though. |
Paulao (BZL) | Saint Etienne (FRA) | Betis | DF Was on loan for last 6 months, and agrees to rescind contract and join on 3 year deal. |
Samuel | Hércules | Celta | DF Ex Elche defender agrees to 4 year move to Galicia to strengthen defence. |
Cabral (ARG) | Arsenal Sarandí / Levante | Celta | DF "The sergeant" returns to Spain after loan season at Levante. Signs for 2 seasons, with option of a third. |
Keylor Navas (CRI) | Albacete | Levante | GK Costa Rica keeper makes move permanent after playing on loan last year, and Albacete failed to win back promotion. |
Pedro Ríos | Getafe | Levante | MF Ex Xerez winger out of contract at Getafe, so accepts move to Valencia. |
Rubén Miño | Barcelona B | Mallorca | GK Valdés look-alike moves on, but could be loaned out if Calatayud or Aouate don't go. |
Arizmendi | Getafe | Mallorca | FW Veteran forward rejoins Cararrós on loan after both had brief spell at Neuchatel. |
Zuiverloon (HOL) | Mallorca | Heerenveen (HOL) | DF Had a disappointing season, and agreed loan move back to Holland with buy-out option at end of season. Nsue will play right back next year. |
Martí Crespí | Mallorca | Chornomorets Odessa (UKR) | DF Caparrós letting him go, so agrees to join Siro Riera in Ukraine. |
Satrústegui | Osasuna | Numancia | DF Youngster agrees to loan move to second division to gain experience. |
Armenteros (ARG) | Sevilla / Rayo Vallecano | Osasuna | MF Tired of being loaned out, so agrees to rescind contract and moves to Pamplona on 3 year contract. |
Iván Piris (PAR) | Sao Paulo (BZL) | Sevilla | DF Agent tweeted that right back had signed for Sevilla, although club have not announced anything official to date. |
Alvaro | Racing Santander | Zaragoza | DF Had offers from Valencia and Premier League, but opted for 4 year deal from Zaragoza. |
Lucas Wilchez (ARG) | Colo Colo (CHL) | Zaragoza | MF Have agreed terms to take winger on loan for a season. Had a brief spell in Greece at Asteris Tripolis. |
Paco Montañés | Alcorcón | Zaragoza | MF Ex Barça B midfielder will be making his debut year in first division after successful season with Alcorcón. |
Zuculini | Hoffenheim (GER) | Zaragoza | MF Was on loan last season, but has rescinded contract with German side and signs three year deal. |
Luis García | Zaragoza | Tigres (MEX) | FW Too expensive in the end to keep ex Espanyol striker, so takes up better offer to move to Mexico. |
Wakaso (GHA) | Villarreal | Espanyol | MF Promoted to Villarreal first team last season, but will be moving on after relegation. |
Marco Rubén (ARG) | Villarreal | Dynamo Kiev (UKR) | FW Striker latest to leave club as they lighten the load for a year at least in the second division. |
De Guzmán (CAN) | Villarreal | Swansea (WAL) | MF Didn't do much after big move from Mallorca, so goes on loan deal to Premier League Welsh club. |
Castellani (ARG) | Villarreal | Godoy (ARG) | MF Another who was drafted in to the first team last winter, but has agreed to move back home for undisclosed fee. |
Gabilondo | Athletic Bilbao | AEK Larnaka (CYP) | MF Out of contract, so veteran winger joins Jordi Cruyff's side in Cyprus. |
Díaz de Cerio / Koikili | Athletic Bilbao | Mirandés | FW / DF No room at San Mamés so both rescind contract & move to newly promoted side. Díaz was on loan at Numancia last year. |
Iriney (BZL) | Betis | Granada | MF Out of contract at Betis, and will be moving on again after no offer made to renew contract. |
Goitia | Betis | Mirandés | GK Didn't get much of a look in with Pepe Mel, so agrees to rescind contract and move to replace Nauzet. |
Alberto Rodríguez (PER) / Evaldo (BZL) | Sporting Lisbon (POR) | Deportivo | DF Taking job lot from Portuguese side! Two more players arrive on loan, following in footsteps of Salomao and André Santos. |
Pizzi (POR) | Sporting Braga / Atlético Madrid | Deportivo | FW Loan from Braga to Atleti extended by a year, but both agree he will be loaned on to Depor this season. |
Jordi Amat | Espanyol | Rayo Vallecano | DF Youth international lost his place to others, so moves out on loan to get match practice. |
Juanma Ortíz | Rangers (SCO) / Almería | Granada | MF Was on loan at old club last season, and joins Granada after Rangers let him go. |
Bryan Angulo (COL) | Atlético Baleares | Granada | DF Ex Depor left back joins on trial, but could be loaned out again at start of season. |
Chico | Genoa / Mallorca | Swansea (WAL) | DF Loan period from Genoa ended, but agrees transfer move to jopin ex boss Laudrup in Swansea. |
Lekic (SER) | Osasuna | Gençlerbirligi (TKY) | FW Striker asked to drop salary with rest of squad, so decided to take up offer from Turkey instead. |
Rubén | Málaga | Rayo Vallecano | GK Winter signing of Kameni left him without much chance of playing, so accepts loan move to Rayo. |
Adrián González | Racing Santander | Rayo Vallecano | MF Michel's son (Sevilla coach, not the Michel above!) forced to move on again after Racing go down. |
Nicki Bille (DEN) | Villarreal B / Elche | Rayo Vallecano | FW Danish youth international signs on loan for Rayo after spell at Elche last season. |
José Carlos | Sevilla / AEK Athens (GRE) | Rayo Vallecano | FW Ex Sevilla B forward returned from Greece to take up offer from Paco Jémez. Presumed loan move, although not much info. |
Michel | Rayo Vallecano | Technical staff | MF Remember him? Played 15 years for Rayo in three divisions, but now retiring to take up position coaching juniors. |
Cobeño | Rayo Vallecano | Vaslui (ROM) | GK Not a lot of news on this one, but seems the keeper has agreed to leave Spain to take up offer from Romania. |
Nafti | Valladolid | Murcia | MF Veteran midfielder will be staying in the second division, this time after signing 2 year deal at Murcia. |
Barral | Sporting Gijón | Orduspor (TKY) | FW Ex Real Madrid B striker will be joining Héctor Cúper in Turkey. Reported fee around 2 Mio. |
Christian | Racing Santander | Almería | DF Left back decides to leave Racing and follows Cisma to Almería. |
Mejía | Konyaspor (TKY) | Almería | DF Ex Real Madrid defender returns to Spain to try and help Almería to return to top flight. |
Charles (BZL / POR) | Córdoba | Almería | FW Got ahead of several teams to sign Brazilian striker, who has been in Spain for seven years. |
Rivera | Sporting Gijón | Elche | MF Contract not renewed at Gijón, so accepts move to Elche. |
Nacho Novo | Legia Warsaw (POL) | Huesca | FW Ex Rangers and Sporting striker comes back to Spain after brief period in Poland. |
Gai Assulín (ISR) | Brighton (ENG) | Racing Santander | MF Ex Barça B & Man City midfielder returns to Spain after injury hit season in England. |
Escassi / Sardinero | Getafe | Hércules | MF / FW Both were on loan last season, and both have agreed to join on permanent basis. |