Can These Breakout Stars Continue Their Ascendance in La Liga?

The 2023–24 La Liga season saw an all-out showcase of the best football talents the Spanish top flight has to offer. Breakout performances from Alexander Sorloth, the rise of Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior, and a patented Lewandowski campaign, to name a few, were all featured in the recently concluded season.

These calibre of players and the countless La Liga 2024 highlights they produced further cement La Liga as one of the most competitive and cutthroat leagues, not just in Europe but in the whole football world.

As SBOTOP La Liga fans await the next edition of the top Spanish football tournament, let’s delve into some of the notable players in La Liga and the possible challenges they’ll face in the 2024–25 season.

Vinicius Junior

Vini Jr. was one of the main catalysts for the dominant season of Real Madrid. The Brazilian star scored 15 goals and claimed five assists in just 26 games played under Ancelotti in the 2024 season. His notable performances included a first-half hat-trick against arch-rival Barcelona in El Clasico and countless clutch efforts across all competitions.

However, with the impending arrival of Kylian Mbappe to Santiago Bernabéu, Vini Jr.’s production might take a hit during the next season if he stays in Madrid.

Mbappe and Vini Jr. virtually play the same position, and it would require the brilliance of Carlo Ancelotti to figure out where the pieces will fall when the time comes.

There’s no question Vini Jr. will continue to climb the pedestal of the football greats with or without the addition of Kylian Mbappe, but it would take a herculean effort to replicate his 2023–24 performance with another football great getting some of his touches.

Artem Dovbyk

Girona’s Ukrainian heavyweight, Artem Dovbyk, bagged the Pichichi Trophy in his maiden season in Spanish football by scoring 24 goals in the 2023–24 La Liga season.

Girona were the surprise package in the recent La Liga season. They finished the 2022–23 campaign in the 10^th spot of the standings, but out of nowhere, they found their form early in the 2023–24 season and proceeded to tussle with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atletico Madrid at the summit of the top-flight table.

Their success wouldn’t be possible without the heroics of their star forward, Dovbyk, who would singlehandedly carry Girona to victory if needed.

Dovbyk’s claim to the Pichichi wasn’t just a testament to his goal-scoring prowess; it also marked a new era of football in La Liga. Girona’s No. 9 has become the first non-Real Madrid or Barcelona player to win the Pichichi in 15 years, opening a new narrative in Spanish football and making his legacy in the top flight to boot.

However, Dovbyk’s spell in Girona might come to an abrupt end, as he could be heading to Atleti in the summer, with Simeone and his camp showing great interest in acquiring Dovbyk’s services.

If he does move to Cívitas Metropolitano, Dovbyk will play alongside other capable forwards like Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, among others, which could potentially see Dovbyk get fewer touches and opportunities than he was given in Girona.

Alexander Sorloth

Villarreal missed out on European credentials after finishing just four points out of the top seven in the La Liga standings, but they do have a reason to celebrate. That reason is none other than their newly-found ace, Alexander Sorloth.

The former Crystal Palace and RB Leipzig journeyman, Alexander Sorloth, completed a transfer to La Liga before the start of the 2023–24 season. The Norwegian star has found a home in Villarreal, and like the other names on this list, Sorloth took the Spanish top flight by storm.

In his debut season for Villarreal and his maiden season in La Liga, Sorloth dazzled fans and pundits alike with his precision and power.

Sorloth scored a total of 23 goals in the latest season, tying the second-best scoring record in Villarreal’s history. The Norwegian icon’s rise to glory was capped with a four-goal masterpiece against Real Madrid in the penultimate week of the season, as the La Liga 2024 odds underdogs, Sorloth in particular, stunned the entire El Madrigal with a 4-4 tie against the crowned La Liga champions Los Blancos.

With just one goal separating Artem Dovbyk and Alexander Sorloth in the Golden Boot race, Sorloth could’ve denied Dovbyk the Pichichi, but Sorloth suffered an injury during Villarreal’s last game of the season and failed to overtake the Girona marksman in the La Liga Golden Boot race.

Despite his meteoric rise and memorable performances for Villarreal in the past season, Sorloth may struggle to replicate his brilliance during the next campaign. Thanks to his breakout season in La Liga, Sorloth’s stock has seen an upswing, and big clubs around the world have surely taken notice.

Sorloth is a journeyman through and through. He’s played in eight different countries and 10 different clubs in his career, so the chances of him once again moving in the next season, with a contender maybe, will surely impact the production of the Ukrainian marksman.

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