What Are the Current Situations for La Liga's Top Four Clubs This New Season?

Madrid, Aug 9 (NationPress) As La Liga prepares to commence the 2025-26 season in under a week, the previous year's top four clubs find themselves in varied stages of readiness. Domestic and European tournaments have left little time for recovery ahead of next summer's FIFA World Cup finals.

The current La Liga and Copa del Rey champions, FC Barcelona, have secured two new players: striker Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Joan Garcia. However, they have faced challenges in registering these signings along with Gerard Martin and Wojciech Szczesny due to Spain's stringent financial fair play laws.

Consequently, Inaki Pena remains the only available first-team goalkeeper, leading to the unexpected decision to release central defender Inigo Martinez to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia on a free transfer to comply with salary restrictions, according to reports from Xinhua.

Moreover, the club has urged Marc-Andre ter Stegen to provide a medical note indicating he will be sidelined for five months, allowing the team to allocate 80% of his salary towards registering Rashford and others.

Barcelona enjoyed a fruitful pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea, showcasing the significance of young talents such as Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and midfielder Pedri. If they can avoid injuries during this demanding season, Barcelona is likely to be favored to defend their title.

Real Madrid has appointed a new coach, Xabi Alonso, and welcomed new defenders Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alvaro Carreras, with Huijsen impressing at the summer's Club World Cup.

Alonso faces a significant challenge due to limited preparation time after his squad returned from the United States in mid-July, with players only resuming training on August 4, just two weeks prior to their season opener against Osasuna.

Additionally, Alonso will be missing Jude Bellingham for the initial weeks following surgery for a long-standing shoulder issue. It remains uncertain whether he will implement a flat back four or utilize three central defenders with wingbacks, a strategy that would benefit Alexander-Arnold.

There are expectations for increased pressing from attackers Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius. Should they find synergy, Real Madrid could emerge as strong title contenders.

Atletico Madrid has also made significant investments this summer, acquiring midfielders Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada, winger Alex Baena, and defenders Matteo Ruggeri and David Hancko as coach Diego Simeone aims to surpass last season’s third-place finish.

The club has maintained strikers Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez, who combined for 37 La Liga goals last season. If Simeone embraces an ambitious approach rather than defaulting to defense, Atletico possesses the talent to compete, despite being slightly behind in preparations after the Club World Cup.

Athletic Bilbao concluded last season in fourth place under coach Ernesto Valverde. A key achievement this summer was retaining star player Nico Williams amid Barcelona’s interest, along with promising additions like attacking midfielder Robert Navarro and full-back Jesus Areso.

However, Athletic's pre-season has been marred by the suspension of defender Yeray Alvarez after testing positive for a product intended to prevent hair loss, and another defender, Unai Egiluz, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a friendly.

The club's success this season may hinge on whether they can lure Spain international defender Aymeric Laporte back, which would fortify their defense, especially within the fervent atmosphere of San Mames Stadium.