The attraction of the Premier is undeniable. However, what seems like paradise turns into quicksands for many Spanish footballers. Fer Lopez It is the last one that lasts a few months before returning, in this case to Celta. History is full of footballers from whom victory eluded them. The Spain-Premier-Spain trip has many passengers.
There are those who succeed (Cesc, Xabi Alonso, Torres, Navas, Merino, Cucurella, Azpilicueta, Silva, Cazorla…), those who comply (Morientes, CeballosÁlex Moreno, Del Horno, Negredo…) and those who abandon and return after trying the adventure. There they are Piqué, Bryan Gil, Denis Suárez, Aspas, Sandro, Eric García, Lucas Pérez and a long list that keeps getting fatter.
Piqué’s anecdotes during his time in Manchester
In 2004, a Barça youth player named Gerard Piqué signed his ticket to Manchester United. the empire that Alex Ferguson led. It was like going through university. The center-back left with the clear message that he would return. After two seasons with few opportunities at Old Trafford, Piqué went on loan to Zaragoza where he exhibited his qualities. He returned to the Premier a season before Barça will pay around 5 million to enroll him in Guardiola’s project.
There were hard moments when you don’t understand why you don’t play, but there were Rio Ferdinand and Vidic
Over the years, Piqué remembered what that experience was like: “It was a difficult stage, and there were hard moments when you didn’t understand why you weren’t playing. But the team had two great centre-backs like Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić.”
Anfield and Aspas
Another historic one, Liverpool, served as a red carpet for Iago Aspas. For the 13-14 season, the Anfield club paid around 9 million euros for the man who was already emerging as a Celta star. The striker did not find a place in a forward line in which Luis Suárez and Sturridge were in charge, with Sterling as the main alternative.
Aspas only participated in 14 games (379 minutes) in which he did not score a goal, something striking for his qualities. A year later he began his return operation. First, on loan to Sevilla, where he did not shine either; later, in the Celta, who bought him for about 4 million euros. In Vigo he built the profile of the best player in his history to this day.
For the Vigo genius what he experienced in Liverpool It was a new experience. “These are hard moments. You have to live the B side of football, you don’t play, you don’t enjoy minutes.”
Manchester City makes the signing of Nolito official.
Nolito’s bid
At Celta Nolito also played with magic. So much so that Guardiola’s Manchester City recruited him in 2016 by paying 18 million for him. Agüero, Sané, Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Gabriel Jesús… were waiting for him in the competition…
One year was enough for him to assimilate that victory was almost impossible surrounded by so many stars. He participated in 19 League games before reflecting on his return. Sevilla acquired Nolito after paying 8 million euros to City.
Its adaptation was complicated with aspects that surround football like family or the weather. Nolito expressed it like this: “My daughter changed color, it seemed like she was living in a cave. At five in the afternoon everything is dark and cold.”
My daughter changed color, it seemed like she was living in a cave; at five in the afternoon it’s all dark and cold
The career of Bryan Gil, a left-footed winger from the old days, with dribbling and speed on his natural wing, He was going like a rocket after his loans to Leganés and Eibar. Sevilla found a business avenue in him and sold him in 2021 for about 21 million to Tottenham in an operation in which Lamela landed in the Pizjuán.
Bryan’s Travels
The career of Bryan Gil and English football never found the path to continuity. In his first season he only played 86 minutes before arriving on loan to Valencia in the winter. Back in London, again without minutes, he returned to Sevilla. From there, back to his Premier club for the 23-24 season. Finally, in the summer of 2024 he arrived at Girona on loan. Last September the Catalan club paid 10 million for his signing.
Bryan Gil, with the Tottenham Hotspur shirt.
In 2017, Guardiola’s Manchester City fished in the Barça youth team to win for two million of euros to Eric García, a firm 16-year-old promise. His degree was completed in four seasons in which he barely had any opportunities. In 2021 he returned to Barcelona at zero cost.
An Atlético classic, Saúl, left on loan to Chelsea in September 2021. In the squad he had to compete for minutes with Kanté, Jorginho, Kovacic, Mount or Loftus-Cheek, an almost insurmountable wall for Tuchel to pay close attention to. The midfielder only found 478 minutes in the entire championship.
Saúl’s first day at Chelsea: he already dares to speak English
After this short adventure, Saúl He returned to Atlético de Madrid, a plan for which he had already lost the permanent role with Simeone.
A goalkeeper without a place
In 2002 Ricardo had completed a great career in the Valladolid goal. Manchester United decided to sign him by paying two million euros for his services. Barthez and Carroll were waiting for him at the legendary entity. Ferguson only gave him 44 minutes in the league campaign.
In search of minutes he returned to the Spanish competition with Racing de Santander. He then completed another almost unprecedented season at United before arriving at Osasuna where he became essential for eight seasons.
Denis Suárez is already from Arsenal
An almost tiptoe visit was that of Vallejo. After two seasons in white, In 2019, Real Madrid loaned the center back to Wolverhampton, a move that seemed ideal to regain minutes. With Nuno on the bench, the footballer only played 162 minutes in the league competition. In the winter market he also went on loan to Granada.
At Liverpool I knew the B side of football, that of not playing and not enjoying minutes
In January 2019, Barcelona decided to renew Denis Suárez until 2021 as a preliminary step to a loan to Arsenal by Unai Emery. The playmaker arrived at a London club where Özil, Mkhitaryan, and Ramsey were already in his position. Denis Suárez’s experience was unsuccessful and he only played two games with 67 minutes. In the following season he began his time at Celta.
A forward without gunpowder
Midfielder Aleix García was one of Villarreal’s most promising players. In the summer of 2015, Manchester City recruited him into their ranks. With Pellegrini as coach and a squad full of stars it was impossible to find minutes. After two seasons in which he played four league games, he found a place on loan at Girona for the 2017-18 campaign. He did not return to City.
In the summer of 2017, Everton noticed Sandro and paid Málaga six million euros for the forward.. In the Liverpool team, with Wayne Rooney as the leader up front, he did not find the ideal atmosphere for him. He only participated in eight League games in which he totaled 276 minutes without a goal in his statistics. In the winter he found a place at Sevilla, where he completed the season without much luck.
Champions League (J6): Summary and goals of Basel 1-4 Arsenal
A classic goalkeeper, César Sánchez, also covered his short quota in the Premier. Juande Ramos’s Tottenham signed him in 2008 from Zaragoza after an operation worth close to two million euros. There he would have to fight for the position with the Brazilian Gomes. It quickly became clear that it was impossible to play. César did not play a minute in the entire league campaign. Valencia acquired his services at the end of the season.
Clausulazo by Lucas Pérez
At the same headquarters, years later, history repeated. Pochettino’s Tottenham In 2016 he added Pau López, the goalkeeper who stood out at Espanyol, on loan for his goal. In London he had to wait for his opportunity because the position was almost perpetually owned by the Frenchman Lloris. There was no way to find space and the League ended without Pau López getting under the goal. The goalkeeper returned to Espanyol.
In the summer of 2016, Arsenal signed Lucas Pérez after paying 20 million euros of his clause to Deportivo de la Coruña. The attacker arrived at Wenger’s London team to fight for a place with Alexis Sánchez, Walcott, Giroud, Iwobi… The season made it clear to him that it was not his place. Lucas Pérez played 265 league minutes spread over eleven games with one goal.
I wanted to leave there to play again and be happy, I made it very clear to Arsenal
The forward got tired of his situation. In the summer he forced Arsenal to let him go. “I made it very clear to them that I wanted to leave to be happy again.” Deportivo recovered him with a transfer for which he paid four million euros. He never played for Arsenal again.
Guardiola surrenders to Eric García: “He is very smart and capable of leading the entire defense”
Juanmi had experienced a similar situation. The Málaga attacker went to Ronald Koeman’s Southampton in 2015. The English club paid seven million euros for his services. Juanmi only played 162 minutes in 12 league games in which he did not find the net.
When the campaign ended, the footballer decided to change his shirt. Real Sociedad paid five million euros to the English club. The English adventure ended soon.
A court case
Roque Mesa did not find the promised land either. Swansea paid 12 million to Las Palmas in 2017. The pivot had shone in the Canary Islands team and the Premier was an appetizing candy. After participating in 11 games with 757 minutes, the call came from Sevilla in the winter market with a loan with a purchase option that he executed in the summer for eight million euros.
Fran Mérida, with Arsenal
Fran Mérida left Barcelona for Arsenal in 2005 when he was a footballer project. After a legal dispute, he had to pay just over three million to the Barça entity. In London he spent several seasons waiting to have a relevant role in the first team.
In 2007 he joined Real Sociedad. After a year he returned to Arsenal where in two seasons he played 81 league minutes and in 2010 he signed with Atlético.
