La Liga Players Who Might Be Better Suited to a Different League
Samuel Marsden@@samuelmarsdenFeatured ColumnistSeptember 27, 2013La Liga Players Who Might Be Better Suited to a Different League
Although they're getting more and more similar, Europe's top leagues traditionally require different abilities from the players that ply their trade in them.
Spain's La Liga supposedly dictates that players need good technique. It's widely thought that to play in England you need to be up for a battle. Meanwhile, Italy has been regarded as the home of the world's best defenders down the years.
Despite this, players do cross boundaries.
Technical players increasingly thrive in England, centre-halves like Sergio Ramos come up trumps in La Liga and box-to-box, athletic midfielders crop up in Serie A.
Over the following slides, B/R look at five La Liga players who may be better suited to a different league.
Sergio Garcia
Player: Sergio Garcia
Club: Espanyol
Age: 30
Position: Striker
Better suited to: English Premier League
Espanyol's No. 9, Sergio Garcia, in many ways is an archetypal English forward.
He leads the line on his own for Javier Aguirre's side in an impressive manner, scoring twice in his last two outings, and is surely one of the first names on the Mexican's team sheet each week.
On top of that, he's also surprisingly mobile across the front line—although his technique often looks a little awkward.
Players of Garcia's ilk are becoming less and less appreciated in La Liga these days. It's unlikely at this stage of his career, but he would be the perfect fit at any Premier League side away from the top six.
Koke
Player: Koke
Club: Atletico Madrid
Age: 21
Position: Midfielder
Better suited to: Bundesliga
Josep Guardiola may have missed a trick this summer when he signed Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara instead of Atletico Madrid's Koke.
Both already full Spanish internationals, Koke's versatility and variation of play make him one of La Roja's brightest hopes coming through in what is an incredibly talented generation.
While Koke is perfectly suited to Diego Simeone's Atleti, offering up a string of impressive performances, you get the feeling it would be nice to see him play in a different league—somewhere he can better show off the other assets of his game.
The 21-year-old is impressively strong, takes great set pieces and would thrive in the Bundesliga, like he does in Spain, or in any other league around the world.
Sami Khedira
Player: Sami Khedira
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 26
Position: Midfielder
Better Suited to: English Premier League
In a midfield that is evolving in style under Carlo Ancelotti, Sami Khedira's time at Real Madrid may be at a premium.
The German midfielder was linked with a move to England over the summer, according to a report on Yahoo!. If Luka Modric and Asier Illarramendi establish themselves as Los Blancos' main duo, Khedira may consider such a move.
There's no shortage of clubs who would benefit from the arrival of Khedira—Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea all included.
So, while no other team in Spain would be able to afford him, a switch in league could be the 26-year-old's next step.
Alex Song
Player: Alex Song
Club: Barcelona
Age: 26
Position: Midfielder
Better suited to: Ligue 1 or the Premier League
Alex Song hasn't had the best of times since swapping London for Barcelona when he left Arsenal last summer.
In a tiki-taka heavy midfield, Song has struggled for game time behind Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and Cesc Fabregas.
Hindsight makes things wonderfully easy, but perhaps a move to Spain wasn't the right one for Song.
His athleticism and tenacity rank above his technique. A return to England or even a move to one of France's big spenders should be on the cards sooner rather than later. It would be best for all parties that way.
Adil Rami
Player: Adil Rami
Club: Valencia
Age: 27
Position: Defender
Better Suited to: Serie A
Following an outburst on radio station Cadena Ser, as reported in The Express, Adil Rami's days as a Valencia player are numbered.
While The Express continue to link the defender with a move to England—citing Arsenal and Manchester City as possible destinations—he could be better suited to another league.
Unlikely to bring interest from Real Madrid or Barcelona, Rami could be the perfect option for any Serie A side looking to bolster their back line. Football Italia suggest Napoli and Inter Milan are on alert.
With Valencia's position as sellers weakened by his outburst, he could prove a bargain for one of Italy's better sides.