The five best La Liga transfers of the season so far

Suraj Radia

• 5 Jan 2023 20:22 GMT
• 4 min read

The January transfer window is open in a period that normally marks the half-way point of a season but the World Cup break has seen teams play just 15 games so far this campaign.

However, in spite of the delayed calendar, plenty of La Liga signings from the summer have shown their potential going into the new year and there have been many interesting figures playing their way into form.

FootballTransfers takes a look at the best signings from the summer in La Liga and how they have featured so far this season.

MOVERS: 10 January transfers that could happen in La Liga

Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco to Real Madrid, €100m)

It’s a tough ask for a young player to make a €100m switch to the European champions in a new league and hit the ground running but Aurelien Tchouameni’s move from Monaco to Real Madrid has proven successful from the get-go thusfar.

The 22-year-old was the club’s only outlay during the summer and, despite some teething issues, the midfielder has blossomed under the tutelage of veteran figures such as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

Crucially, the Frenchman’s arrival has allowed Federico Valverde to flourish in a more advanced, wide role on the right flank and Tchouameni’s progression will undoubtedly make him a long-term star in Madrid once Kroos and Modric eventually call time on their illustrious careers.

Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich to Barcelona, €45m)

Robert Lewandowski’s move from Bayern Munich to Barcelona was controversial for a number of reasons but the Pole has done what he does best by firing his way to the top of the La Liga scoring charts already.

The 34-year-old burned the bridges on his way out of Bayern and Barca activated a host of economic levers to pull off the signing but Lewandowski has rewarded his new side’s efforts by scoring 13 goals in 15 games and providing four assists.

While there are doubts over his long-term value to the club, particularly with Barcelona’s precarious financial situation, Xavi’s side are first in La Liga and the decision to invest in a prolific striker appears to be paying off in the short-term.

Brais Mendez (Celta Vigo to Real Sociedad, €14m)

While Tchouameni and Lewandowski may be stealing the headlines for the biggest teams in La Liga, Real Sociedad sit third in the league, largely down to the arrival of Brais Mendez, whose €14m move from Celta Vigo in the summer appears to be the bargain of the year.

Mendez has seven goals and three assists from midfield and the 25-year-old’s contributions have won 14 points for Sociedad, more than any other player in La Liga this season.

The four-cap Spain international has been a top performer this season and the fee Sociedad paid now looks a bargain, with plenty of bigger clubs likely to take note and monitor Mendez’s form going forward.

Joselu (Alaves to Espanyol, free)

Premier League and Bundesliga fans may be more familiar with Joselu as a deep-lying forward who was hardly known for his goal record but he has been something of a revelation since returning to Spain in 2019.

Having finished as top scorer for Alaves in each of the last three seasons, the 32-year-old joined Espanyol on a free transfer after his former side were relegated and he has picked up where he left off with his new team.

He also netted against his former side Real Madrid as well as scoring an equaliser against Barcelona to take his tally to eight for the season.

Vedat Muriqi (Lazio to Mallorca, €8m)

Kosovan striker Vedat Muriqi completed a permanent move to Mallorca this summer after spending the second half of last season with the La Liga side and helping them to survival.

Despite a disappointing spell for former club Lazio where he scored just once in 38 games, Muriqi has seen a rejuvenation in his form and is the joint-second top scorer in the league with eight goals.

Although he has proven to be a player with some disciplinary issues, the giant striker has led his side to mid-table in La Liga and has become one of the surprise success stories of the season.