La Liga Blog: Deadline Day – La Liga style

As in the Premier League, the action on the pitch in La Liga took a back seat in the last week as clubs finalised last-minute transfer deals.

By Peter Cadogan

I wonder if there is a Spanish equivalent of Sky Sports' Jim White. A hyperbolic Cinderella type, wheeled out twice yearly on transfer deadline day to frantically impart nuggets of truth, rumour and baseless speculation with equal fervency to a salivating audience only to disappear again at the stroke of midnight.

“…former Liverpool full-back Antonio Barragan will sign for Valencia in a deal worth €1.5m and I can now exclusively reveal that my chariot has turned back into a pumpkin. Good night amigos!”

If such a man exists – and I truly hope that he does – then these were the stories he brought to the Spanish public during the dying hours and minutes of 31 August.

Daniel Pacheco – Liverpool to Rayo Vallecano (loan via Atletico Madrid)

Pacheco is a curious player who inspires devotion amongst many Liverpool supporters and casual indifference from successive ‘Pool managers. By all accounts magnificent during the 2010 U19 European Championships where he finished as the tournament top scorer, Pacheco’s first team experiences in England were limited to a brief loan spell at Norwich and the occasional appearance as substitute in low-profile Europa League ties.

The Spaniard is undoubtedly a talented player. It remains to be seen, however, whether he is, as my barber once informed me without a trace of doubt or irony, “better than David Villa”. Atletico have immediately loaned the player on again to Rayo Vallecano and will have the option to buy Pacheco at the end of the season should he impress this term.

For Pacheco, this season is his opportunity to prove that his talents deserve a larger stage than the Liverpool reserves and the occasional Carling Cup appearance.

Diego – Wolfsburg to Atletico Madrid (loan)

Another loan deal for Atletico with Brazilian playmaker Diego arriving to bolster the attacking options for a side that lost Kun Aguero and Diego Forlan during the summer. Diego fell out spectacularly with current employers Wolfsburg at the end of last season when he walked out of the team hotel on the eve of a season-ending match against Hoffenheim. Wolfsburg were in danger of relegation ahead of that match (they ultimately beat Hoffenheim 3-1 and stayed up) and the player was fined €500,000 for abandoning his team mates.

Diego made his name at Werder Bremen as a goal-scoring playmaker and was instrumental in their progress to the 2009 UEFA Cup final. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, he missed the final due to suspension and the German club lost 2-1 to Shakhtar Donetsk. A succession of big money transfers ensued, first to Italian giants Juventus and then back to German football with Wolfsburg where he failed to re-capture the form of previous years.

Diego could prove to be one of the star players in La Liga particularly if he can avoid controversy and return to the type of form he last showed when playing for Werder Bremen.

Vladimir Weiss – Manchester City to Espanyol (loan)

Irish fans will be familiar with the Slovakian international following his full-back bothering performance in the recent 0-0 draw between the two countries. The talented winger had a successful loan spell with Glasgow Rangers last season and his footballing education will continue with a year-long loan spell at Espanyol.

With the recent arrival of so many high profile signings at Man City, Weiss remains, understandably, well down the pecking order and will probably need to find a permanent home away from Eastlands. The youngster is already a regular fixture with the Slovakian national side, managed conveniently enough by his father, and like Pacheco he will be anxious to prove that his talents are worthy of a more glamorous club setting than Man City reserves or the Scottish Premier League.

While he can’t play against John O’Shea every week, I predict the Slovakian will trouble many more full-backs during his time at Espanyol, starting with a home tie against Athletic Bilbao.

Fixtures (weekend commencing 10 September 10)

Espanyol v Athletic Bilbao, Malaga v Granada, Villarreal v Sevilla, Real Sociedad v Barcelona

Osasuna v Sporting Gijon, Valencia v Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid v Getafe,

Rayo Vallecano v Real Zaragoza, Racing Santander v Levante, Real Betis v Mallorca