Alavés: Last Season’s Surprise Package in La Liga Risks Battling for Survival This Time Around

The 2024-25 La Liga season is about to kick off, and today, Leisu Sports presents a preview of Alavés. Alavés has often played the role of an elevator team across various Spanish leagues over the years and has yet to secure any significant titles. Last season, Alavés surprised everyone by finishing tenth in La Liga as a dark horse. However, with significant player departures and limited reinforcements this summer, the team faces the prospect of battling for survival in the new season.

Team Overview

Alavés has relatively weak overall strength, having only won the second-tier Spanish league championship four times in its history, without any top-flight titles. In cup competitions, Alavés reached the final of the UEFA Cup in the 2000-01 season and the Copa del Rey final in the 2016-17 season but ended up as runners-up on both occasions.

As a modest team, Alavés had a commendable performance in the 2023/24 season, finishing tenth in the league with 12 wins, 10 draws, and 16 losses, accumulating 46 points. The team was eliminated in the round of 16 in the Copa del Rey, making their overall performance quite surprising.

In the new season, Alavés continues to compete as a modest team, investing only €5.5 million in the summer transfer window. Their biggest signing was Thomas Cuné for €2 million, while key players such as Javi López and Duarte were sold. Last season’s top scorer, Omorodion, returned to Atlético Madrid after his loan spell, which means Alavés will face even more severe challenges. For Alavés, the primary goal for this season remains securing their place in the league.

Summer Transfers In (Total €5.5 million)

Thomas Cuné (Godoy Cruz, €2 million), Nova Ramos (RB Leipzig, €1.5 million), Stoichkov (Eibar, €1 million), Victoribre (Athletic Bilbao, €1 million), Moussa Diarra (Toulouse, free transfer), Facundo Garcés (CA Colón, free transfer), Manu Sánchez (Celta Vigo, loan), Romero (AC Milan, loan), Unai Ropero (promoted from Alavés B), Maroan Sannadi (promoted from Alavés B), Miguel (Leganes, end of loan period), Maras (Levante, end of loan period), Abdullahi (Bellinzona, end of loan period), Alan Godoy (Tarragona, end of loan period), Alex Baboa (Huesca, end of loan period)

Summer Transfers Out (Total €12.5 million)

Javi López (Real Sociedad, €6.5 million), Duarte (Club América, €4 million), Miguel (Leganes, €2 million), Gorosabel (Athletic Bilbao, free transfer), Saibo Alcan (Eibar, free transfer), Alan Godoy (Elche, free transfer), Alex Baboa (Almere City, free transfer), Unai Ropero (Elche, loan), Maroan Sannadi (Parla, loan), Omorodion (Atlético Madrid, end of loan period), Marin (Real Madrid, end of loan period), Sola (Real Sociedad, end of loan period), Giuliano Simon (Atlético Madrid, end of loan period), Little Hagi (Rangers, end of loan period)

Key Player Profiles

Last season’s top scorer for Alavés, Omorodion (8 goals, 1 assist), has returned to Atlético Madrid following the end of his loan spell, which is a significant blow for the team. In this season, Alavés will rely heavily on the contributions of Rioja (5 goals, 4 assists), Carlos Benavides (4 goals, 1 assist), and Guridi (3 goals, 4 assists). The most significant transfer this summer was the €2 million acquisition of Thomas Cuné, who played for Godoy Cruz in Argentina last season, scoring 5 goals and providing 5 assists in 20 appearances. His ability to bolster the attack will be closely watched.

According to Transfermarkt data, there are no players in the Alavés squad valued at over €10 million. The left-back, Manu Sánchez (€8 million), is the most valuable player in the team, followed by midfielder Blanco (€7.5 million) and central defender Abkar (€7.5 million). The three highest-valued players are all defenders, highlighting the defensive strength and attacking weakness of Alavés.

Manager Profile

The head coach of Alavés is the native manager Luis García, whose coaching experience is extensive but lacks championship titles so far. Before taking charge of Alavés, Luis García also coached Spanish teams such as Levante, Getafe, and Villarreal.

Luis García took over the helm of Alavés on July 1, 2022. He has led the team in 92 matches, achieving 39 wins, 26 draws, and 27 losses, a decent record. His contract with Alavés runs until June 30, 2026. Notably, Luis García also has ties to Chinese football, having managed Beijing Renhe twice.