It’s been another turbulent but thoroughly entertaining season of football in La Liga in 2018-19. Barcelona won their fourth league title in five years, Real Madrid dropped to third following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane last summer, and Atletico Madrid proved their class under Diego Simeone yet again.
It is away from those three that is our principal concern today though, as we take on a challenge set by one of our subscribers to identify the division’s seven best players who don’t play for the division’s top three clubs, namely Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Now, that still leaves us with the likes of Sevilla, Valencia, Athletic Bilbao and many more fine clubs whose players are all up for grabs, and this was an incredibly difficult seven to put together.
As such, there will be some honourable mentions between first and second place, but at first we’ll get straight into the nitty gritty of our top seven. Here are our views on the 7 best players outside of La Liga’s top three clubs:
7. Jesus Navas
Back when Jesus Navas left Manchester City to return to Sevilla in 2017, I never would’ve thought we’d be talking about him as one of La Liga’s top players in a couple of years time. I’d be even more surprised if you’d said we’d be talking about him having been one of the best full-backs, or wing-backs, in Europe.
That’s exactly what the 33-year-old has been at Sevilla this season though, bringing extraordinary energy, enthusiasm and athleticism to the right-back position. Previously a rather one-dimensional right winger, Navas has had a new lease of life in that wing-back position.
After five years away, Navas returned to the Spanish national team this year, and that’s a huge testament to the consistency of the renaissance man this season. He probably deserves to take the right-back spot in a 2018-19 La Liga Team of the Season, and he takes seventh place here for us.
6. Giovani Lo Celso
Giovani Lo Celso of Real Betis Balompie reacts during the La Liga match between Real Betis Balompie and Valencia CF at Estadio Benito Villamarin on April 21, 2019 in Seville, Spain.
The signing of the season as far as we’re concerned, Real Betis signed Giovani Lo Celso on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent last summer. They did indeed make that loan move a permanent one in April, and they’d have been mad not to, since Lo Celso was one of the outstanding midfielders in the division in a Betis side that finished the season in 10th place.
Lo Celsa is a technical and creative midfield playmaker, but also a hard working midfield player with the ability to get up and down the pitch. He scored 9 goals and made 4 assists in 27 La Liga starts this season, prompting rumours of a €70 million summer transfer to Tottenham, and the 23-year-old could well become a key man in the Argentine national team over the next 10 years.
5. Ever Banega
A player we have long-admired here at HITC Sevens, Ever Banega is another Argentine midfield playmaker, but one much more in the classical mould of a South American number 10. A wonderful technician who loves to have the ball at his feet, Banega has a brilliant eye for a pass, and he’s currently in his second stint with Sevilla either side of a single season at Inter Milan.
Now aged 30, I do get the impression that Banega could have reached an even higher level than the one he has, but the former Valencia star has still won 65 caps for his country and a couple of Europa League titles. He is undoubtedly one of the ‘best of the rest’ outside of Spain’s top three, and he takes fifth place in this seven.
4. Santi Cazorla
Santi Cazorla of Villarreal CF looks on prior to the La Liga match between Getafe CF and Villarreal CF at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on May 18, 2019 in Getafe, Spain.
What an unbelievable season Santi Cazorla has had in 2018-19. The diminutive Spanish magician was brilliant for Arsenal up until he injured his Achilles tendon in October 2016. Following eight, yes EIGHT operations on the dodgy ankle, which had contracted gangrene, it was feared that Cazorla may never walk again and that the leg might have to be amputated.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and following a successful skin graft, the midfielder ambitiously aimed to make a full return to football in 2018. During this time, his Arsenal contract came to an end, and Cazorla left the Emirates with his future looking dubious at best. He began training with the youth squad at Alaves, before being invited to train with Villarreal. Cazorla obviously did enough to impress at his former club, and he played his first game in 636 days for the club in a friendly against Hercules.
They offered him a permanent contract in August, which was a stunning achievement in of itself for Cazorla, but few expected him to have a season like the one just gone. The 2007 Spanish Footballer of the Year has played some of the best football of his career, controlling games from Villarreal’s midfield. He’s registered an incredible 46 appearances having barely played for the best part of two years, he’s one of only 4 players to register double figures in the league for assists and he’s even been recalled to the Spain squad for the first time in four years.
3. Pablo Sarabia
A player who we talked about at the start of this season, I’m pretty sure Pablo Sarabia also made our best uncapped XI video, and – incredibly – the 27-year-old remains uncapped at the time of this recording. Equally effective in attacking midfield or on either of the flanks, Sarabia enjoyed a good first two seasons at Sevilla, but he’s hit new heights this term.
Quick, smart, skilful and direct, Sarabia bagged 19 goals in all competitions and 13 assists in La Liga alone… the joint most in the division, matched only by Lionel Messi. That’s a mark of his class, and he has been one of the best players in La Liga this season. Sarabia has been linked with both Real Madrid and Chelsea, but incredibly, he is still yet to receive an international call-up.
2. Iago Aspas
Iago Aspas of Celta de Vigo celebrates after scoring his team’s second goal during the La Liga match between RC Celta de Vigo and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Abanca Balaidos Stadium on May…
This was a really tough seven to put together, but there were never too many doubts in my mind about the top two. Our runner-up here is Iago Aspas, who basically single-handedly kept Celta Vigo in La Liga this season, recording 20 goals and 6 assists. Only Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Karim Benzema scored more, and of those three, only Messi registered more assists. Then you look at the fact that Barcelona scored 90 league goals this season, Real Madrid scored 63 and Celta scored just 53.
Aspas has been in inspired form for Celta since joining the club four years ago, with 88 goals in 155 games, and the former Liverpool and Sevilla man has scored 7 goals from 16 caps for Spain since 2016. The 31-year-old is cunning, versatile, brilliant with his movement, clinical in front of goal and always a threat from set pieces. It would be madness not to consider him one of the best players outside of La Liga’s big three.
0. Honourable Mentions
As I said in the introduction, this was a really tough seven to put together, and some real talent had to miss out. Two players we’re big fans of here at HITC Sevens are Simon Kjaer at Sevilla and Inigo Martinez at Athletic Bilbao, and Martinez in particular has been excellent once again this season.
In terms of more breakout stars, Getafe centre-back Djene has made a big impression, more than making up for his lack of height with his intuitive and proactive defensive displays. Fellow centre-back Guillermo Maripan has been just as impressive for Alaves, and whilst he is currently being linked with West Ham, an impressive Copa America could spark the interest of Barcelona who were linked in January.
Other players we have to mention include the likes of Valencia star and Spanish international Rodrigo, rapid Athletic Bilbao forward Inaki Williams, Valencia’s all-action central midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, prolific Sevilla striker and now French international Wissam Ben Yedder, Valencia and Spain full-back Jose Luis Gaya and Eibar’s breakout star in midfield Joan Jordan.
There are loads more players we should mention, but we’re going to limit it just to those who made my original shortlist, otherwise we’d be here forever. Okay, with that out the way, now it’s time for your top spot…
1. Dani Parejo
Dani Parejo of Valencia CF celebrates with the trophy next to King Felipe VI of Spain at the end of the Spanish Copa del Rey match between Barcelona and Valencia at Estadio Benito…
Iago Aspas is the only one who can give him a genuine challenge, but for our money, Dani Parejo is the best player in La Liga outside of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Capable of playing anywhere in the spine of midfield, whether it’s sitting deep and controlling the tempo of a game or further forward probing and looking to penetrate the opposition backline, Parejo is a class act.
He has fantastic vision and a quite brilliant range of passing, and despite not being the quickest, he still covers plenty of ground in the middle of the park. The 30-year-old had a brief spell on-loan at QPR in the Championship about 10 years ago, but he’s now firmly established himself as one of the best midfielders in Spain, even if one includes the division’s three best placed sides.
Parejo has been a regular fixture at Valencia for eight years now, but he seems to be ageing like a fine wine. He is now a master of dictating play, picking passes, opening up the opposition and regularly dispatching free-kicks and penalties. Only Alaves loanee Jony and Barcelona star Lionel Messi averaged more key passes per game last season, and Parejo is our pick as La Liga’s best player outside the big three.
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