How Spanish clubs expertly leveraged the summer transfer window

Conducting business in the transfer window is fraught with danger, particularly for clubs which spend vast sums of money.

That point has been perfectly evidenced in the Premier League this season, where several big money buys have failed to live up to expectations. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Benjamin Sesko are among a plethora of players who have yet to justify their expensive transfer fees.

However, it has been a different story in LaLiga, with numerous clubs signing players who have made an immediate impact.

Before we assess some of the main success stories, here are the top incoming transfers completed by LaLiga clubs during the 2025 summer transfer window:

Madrid giants lead the way

Real Madrid are renowned for their shrewd business in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to acquiring players at the end of their contracts.

Intriguingly, that tactic has not paid dividends this season, with Trent Alexander-Arnold failing to impress following his move from Liverpool. His struggles should send a cautionary warning to the club’s hierarchy, who are considering another raid on the Reds next summer.

Defender Ibrahima Konate has been strongly linked with a move to Madrid after failing to agree a new contract with the Premier League giants. However, he has produced a series of underwhelming performances this season and Los Blancos must consider whether he is worth the enormous salary he will demand.

While doubts persist about the wisdom in prising players away from Liverpool, Madrid have undoubtedly had more success with their big money summer signings. Dean Huijsen, Alvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono all contributed to Xabi Alonso’s side during a strong start to the season. 

Huijsen and Carreras are part of a defence which has conceded 13 goals in 14 league games. Five of those were in the derby defeat against Atletico Madrid. Mastantuono also showed flashes of his potential following his move from River Plate, although an injury has halted his progress.

Atletico spent heavily last summer, shelling out €176 million on new players in an attempt to rival Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the standings.

After taking a little while to settle, Atleti have powered up the LaLiga table and are now in fourth place, just three points adrift of top spot. Most of their most expensive signings have performed well, although Giacomo Raspadori has been inconsistent following his move from Napoli.

Villarreal force their way into the top four

Villarreal finished fifth last season and have continued to impress this term, moving up to third in the standings after losing just twice in 14 outings.

Their improvement is more noteworthy when considering they made a profit on their transfer dealings during the summer transfer window. Villarreal spent €102m of the €108m they generated on several new players including Georges Mikautadze, Renato Veiga and Alberto Moleiro.

While Mikautadze has yet to fully hit his stride, Veiga and Moleiro have played key roles in Villarreal’s climb into the top four. Santiago Mouriño and Tajon Buchanan have also impressed, highlighting that transfer fees do not need to be extravagant for players to succeed.

Elsewhere, Barcelona’s financial situation limited the business they were able to conduct last summer. Goalkeeper Joan Garcia was their most expensive purchase.

He started the season well, conceding just four goals in first six league appearances. Garcia missed the next six games with a knee injury, but kept a clean sheet on his return against Athletic Club.

Barcelona have also struck gold in the loan market, with Marcus Rashford settling in quickly at the club after moving from Manchester United.

The 28-year-old has weighed in with two goals and six assists in 13 league appearances, and has also been a standout performer in the Champions League.

Zach Lowy is a freelance football journalist who has written for leading outlets like FotMob, BetUS, Apuestas Deportivas, and who has appeared as a radio and television guest for BBC, SiriusXMFC, and various other platforms. After pursuing a global sports journalism degree at George Washington University, Zach has been able to tap into his multilingual background and interview major footballing figures in Spanish and Portuguese as well as operate the weekly podcast ‘Zach Lowy’s European Football Show’ on BET Central.