For every team planning an assault on the La Liga 2023/24 title, there is a handful of clubs aiming for survival with varying levels of comfort.
Two such clubs are pretty big names with cause for some concern, as Valencia and Celta Vigo have work to do in the remainder of the window, or they could be in for a serious struggle. Vigo finished just below halfway last term, while Valencia avoided the drop, but not by much.
Los Ches are managed by Ruben Baraja. The six-time La Liga winners, most recently in 2004, were in serious trouble in 18th place when he arrived in late February after the departure of Gennaro Gattuso.
Former player Baraja came in to lift the team to 16th place and safety. He’s a hero at the Mestalla, having scored 41 goals in 263 appearances for the club between 2000 and 2010, and Baraja has made a good start in the dugout.
But now the real hard work begins.
Los Ches have already lost two loan players who made a big impact at the Mestalla last season. 23-year-old Brazilian winger Samuel Lino has gone back to his parent club Atletico Madrid, while Dutch forward Justin Kluivert has been snapped up by Premier League side Bournemouth.
Lino’s pace and trickery and Kluivert’s limitless energy gave Valencia a much-needed boost up front and they jointly top-scored with six goals each.
There is also a risk that Los Ches may lose their 6’6” goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who is widely admired and who saved Valencia on numerous occasions last season.
In terms of signings, Turkish defender Cenk Ozkacar has made his loan move from Lyon permanent, while Spanish midfielder Pepelu has been signed from Levante, where he had an impressive campaign last season.
But up front there has been no movement as yet and Valencia may have to start the campaign with 36-year-old Edinson Cavani leading the line. The Uruguayan has been a brilliant striker in his day for club and country, but he struggled to stay fit last term and managed just five goals.
One name linked with Valencia is Sevilla striker Rafa Mir. The 26-year-old Spaniard was a flop at Wolverhampton Wanderers but has fared a little better since his €16 million move to Sevilla where he has scored 16 goals in 60 appearances.
That isn’t a spectacular goal to games ratio and Los Sevillistas will probably accept a bid in the region of €5 million for their player, though Los Ches would probably prefer a loan.
Mir is a big, strong striker and would be a fair replacement for Cavani, but it would not be a signing to set the pulses racing at the Mestalla Stadium.
Valencia need to start the new campaign with a decent set of La Liga 2023 results or it could be a long, hard winter for Los Ches fans.
And what about Celta Vigo’s 2023 stars?
The biggest teams in La Liga, including the El Clasico duo, are looking to strengthen their squads with some big money signings, but for the likes of Valencia and indeed Celta Vigo, the concern is around how they retain the status quo and their Primera Division survival.
Celta have enjoyed 11 seasons in the La Liga top-flight since promotion in 2012 even though they have flirted with relegation from time to time with a couple of 17th placed finishes.
The La Liga 2023 betting odds reckon Celta should survive again, but they have been on a gentle downward slope in recent seasons, finishing eighth, 10th, and then 11th, and they may struggle to get the same performances from two of their biggest stars for very different reasons.
Spain U21 player Gabri Veiga had a superb second half of the season in central midfield and the 21-year-old has attracted the attention of a host of Premier League clubs. At 6’1”, he is a strong figure with a superb passing range and a willingness to get forward, scoring 11 goals in 49 appearances with many of them from the bench.
And Veiga is currently being tracked by Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, and Arsenal. If any of these big guns trigger his €45 million release clause, then Veiga will be off.
One player sure to stay at the club is star striker Iago Aspas, who has been a huge favourite at the Balaidos Stadium and here at SBOTOP thanks to his superhuman scoring exploits.
He is the club’s all-time top scorer with 179 goals and he has the most in La Liga with 145. But Aspas is now 35 years of age, and he can’t hit those incredible heights forever. So Celta, like Valencia, need numbers in up front.
The one thing in Celta Vigo’s favour is that they are managed by the wily and tactically brilliant Rafael Benitez. The former Liverpool boss knows how to eke out results and that could be crucial for Vigo.
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