The 10 most valuable players in LaLiga
In the past five years, Spanish clubs have dominated European football, and in the last five seasons, the Champions League and Europa League has been won almost exclusively by LaLiga sides.
In the Champions League, Spanish clubs have emerged victorious in every one of the last five seasons. Real Madrid have been the dominant force, becoming the first team to win consecutive titles in the competition’s current format, and they are aiming for their fourth consecutive title this season. Barcelona were other side to win it in this period, emerging victorious in the 2014/15 season
It has been a similar story in the Europa League. Sevilla were three time winners between 2014 and 2016, becoming the first team to win the competition on three consecutive occasions. Last year Atletico Madrid won the title, with Manchester United picking up the trophy in the 2016/2017 season.
Although LaLiga is not considered as strong or competitive as the Premier League, there is little doubting that it is home to the best players in the world. A player from a Spanish club has won the Ballon d’Or in each of the last ten years.
Lionel Messi has claimed the award five times, while Cristiano Ronaldo has won it on four occasions, with Luka Modric claiming the prize in 2018.
A study by the International Centre for Sports Studieshas recently ranked the 100 most valuable footballers in the world, based on age, position, and club and national team results. Here are the ten most valuable players in LaLiga according to CIES.
#10 Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)- £70.5 million
Lemar has only spent six months in Spain, having made the big money move from Monaco in the summer. He was the latest in a long line of players coming off the production line at the French club, following the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kylian Mbappe and Tiemoue Bakayoko. The move followed months of Lemar being linked with a host of top clubs, including Liverpool and Arsenal.
The World Cup winner has yet to really hit top form this season, and it looks like he is taking time to adapt to LaLiga. He is still a quality player, however, and proved this on a number of occasions while on the books of Monaco. His performances during the 2016/17 season proved this, as Monaco won the Ligue 1 title and reached the Champions League semi-final. During the campaign, he scored 14 goals and provided 17 assists.