Top 10 La Liga Summer Signings: Ranked

Kylian Mbappé arrived at Real Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

Kylian Mbappé scored seven goals in his first nine appearances for Real Madrid. / IMAGO/AFLOSPORT

Some of soccer's best talent made the move to La Liga during the 2024 summer transfer window, but only a few have lived up to their price tag.

La Liga's biggest clubs led the league in spending and signings ahead of the 2024–25 season. Despite Kylian Mbappé's transfer from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid made the most headlines as the club welcomed 17 arrivals, including Alexander Sørloth, Julián Alvarez, Conor Gallagher and Robin Le Normand.

Villarreal and Barcelona also added 17 players to each of their squads, spending $68.1 million and $63.4 million respectively. It is no surprise the four teams that spent the most money currently lead La Liga heading into the October international break; so much of their success comes down to the impactful moves they made over the summer.

Here's the best La Liga summer signings.

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10. Alexander Sørloth (Atlético Madrid)

IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador

• Transferred from Villarreal to Atlético Madrid
• Fee: $34.9 million
• Position: Striker

Coming off a 23-goal season for Villarreal, Alexander Sørloth completed his move to Atlético Madrid. The striker added a new goalscoring threat to Diego Simeone's traditionally defensive-minded squad, but so far, he has not lived up to the hype.

Sørloth only has one goal for Atlético Madrid in his first ten appearances. Despite his low production in front of goal, though, the 28-year-old recorded two assists that rescued points for Simeone's side against Athletic Club and Rayo Vallecano.

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9. Thierno Barry (Villarreal)

IMAGO/Pressinphoto

• Transferred from Basel to Villarreal
• Fee: $16.5 million
• Position: Striker

Thierno Barry was one of Villarreal's many signings during the summer transfer window. Despite getting off to a slower start than teammates Ayoze Pérez and Sergi Cardona, Barry bagged two goals in his first seven appearances for the Yellow Submarine.

It was his winner that secured all three points for Villarreal against Las Palmas, a side even Real Madrid could not defeat. The 21-year-old also recorded his first La Liga assist in his fourth start for the club.

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8. Orri Óskarsson (Real Sociedad)

IMAGO/AFLOSPORT

• Transferred from F.C. Copenhagen to Real Sociedad
• Fee: $22 million
• Position: Striker

Orri Óskarsson landed at Real Sociedad after recording 13 goals and six assists across all competitions for F.C. Copenhagen last season. The 20-year-old made his La Liga debut against Real Madrid on Sept. 14.

Despite only making five appearances for his new club, Óskarsson already has two goals to his name, which is more than other summer signings, including Villarreal's Nicolas Pépé, have amassed in almost double the matches. A lack of consistent minutes has hindered Óskarsson's overall production, though.

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7. Sergi Cardona (Villarreal)

IMAGO/NurPhoto

• Transferred from Las Palmas to Villarreal
• Fee: Free
• Position: Left-back

Sergi Cardona's contract with Las Palmas expired at the end of last season, leaving him free to join Villarreal this summer.

Since his arrival, Cardona has started every match for Villarreal and quickly became one of the club's most consistent, reliable players. His defensive efforts on the left flank helped Villarreal start its 2024–25 campaign with points in seven of its first nine matches. The Spaniard also scored and assisted in Villarreal's thrilling 4–3 victory over Celta Vigo.

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6. Julián Alvarez (Atlético Madrid)

IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador

• Transferred from Manchester City to Atlético Madrid
• Fee: $82.3 million
• Position: Striker

Fresh off another Premier League title with Manchester City and a second Copa América trophy with Argentina, Julián Alvarez joined Atlético Madrid. His arrival promised plenty of goals for Simeone's side, but he failed to get off the mark early in the season.

As soon as he bagged his first goal for Los Colchoneros, though, Alvarez stepped up and looked like his old self. He scored an 89th minute winner for Atlético Madrid against Celta Vigo and then scored the fastest goal for the club since 2018 when he found the back of the net against Real Sociedad inside one minute.

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5. Dani Olmo (Barcelona)

IMAGO/ZUMA Press Wir

• Transferred from RB Leipzig to Barcelona
• Fee: $60 million
• Position: Midfielder

Dani Olmo started his Barcelona career on the sidelines as he waited for the club to officially register him with La Liga. By the time the Catalans overcame their financial woes, the midfielder already missed two matches. Once he got on the pitch, though, Olmo got off to a dream start.

The 26-year-old scored goals in his first three matches, including the winner against Rayo Vallecano in his debut. He was on pace to become the team's second-highest goalscorer behind Robert Lewandowski when he suffered a hamstring injury against Girona. The midfielder's lengthy spell on the sidelines disrupted his momentum.

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4. Conor Gallagher (Atlético Madrid)

IMAGO/Ricardo Larreina Amador

• Transferred from Chelsea to Atlético Madrid
• Fee: $44 million
• Position: Midfielder

Conor Gallagher left the Blues after 18 years to compete in La Liga. While Alvarez and Sørloth struggled to get going for Atlético Madrid, the England international delivered a string of strong performances to earn a starting spot in Simeone's midfield.

The 24-year-old scored the winner for Atlético Madrid against Valencia and then rescued a point for his side against Rayo Vallecano a week later. Gallagher brings more than just goalscoring to the club, though. He consistently wins the most duels per match and often has a team-high tackles as well. His defensive efforts fit right into Simeone's style of soccer.

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3. Ayoze Pérez (Villarreal)

IMAGO/Pressinphot

• Transferred from Real Betis to Villarreal
• Fee: Free
• Position: Striker/winger

Despite the number of huge stars coming to La Liga this season, 31-year-old Ayoze Pérez has made one of the most profound impacts for a club. In seven appearances for Villarreal, the Spaniard scored six goals, including the winners against Sevilla, Mallorca and Espanyol. He also found the equalizer in Villarreal's 1–1 draw with Valencia.

Of course Villarreal's impressive run of form to kick off the 2024–25 season comes down to more than just one player, but Pérez's goalscoring essentially secured 10 points for his club. His impressive production has since been put on hold as he deals with a muscle injury.

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2. Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid)

IMAGO/Pressinphot

• Transferred from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid
• Fee: Free
• Position: Striker

Before the season started, Kylian Mbappé would have been an easy shout for the best La Liga summer signing, but the Frenchman got off to a slow start for Real Madrid. After scoring in the UEFA Super Cup, Mbappé did not find the back of the net in La Liga until his fourth match.

The 25-year-old slowly developed chemistry with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, though, and scored five goals across all competitions in his following four appearances. Like Olmo, Mbappé's debut campaign was cut short when he suffered a thigh injury against Alavés.

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1. Robin Le Normand (Atlético Madrid)

IMAGO/Pressinphot

• Transferred from Real Sociedad to Atlético Madrid
• Fee: $37.9 million
• Position: Center-back

Of all Atlético Madrid's summer signings, Robin Le Normand settled in the quickest with Simeone's squad. The Spain international arrived in Madrid after winning Euro 2024 and immediately slotted in alongside José María Giménez.

In the eight matches Le Normand started across all competitions, Atlético Madrid kept five clean sheets and only conceded four goals. The defender suffered a head injury in the Madrid derby and missed Los Colchoneros' final matches before the October international break. Without the 27-year-old on the pitch, Simeone's men conceded five goals in two matches.

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