It could be argued that either Robin van Persie, Santi Cazorla or Oscar has been the signing of the season thus far, but in terms of value for money there can only be one winner.
Swansea City paid Rayo Vallecano £2m for Spanish forward Michu in the summer, a transfer that did not receive great coverage or turn many heads. But his form this season has come as no surprise to followers of La Liga, who saw the former Celta Vigo attacker score 15 La Liga goals last season.
Michu's two goals against Arsenal at the weekend took him joint-top of the Premier League goalscoring charts with 10 goals and he has been a key part of an ever-improving Swansea side.
With that in mind, Sports Mole has selected five cut-price La Liga players who could have a similar impact in the Premier League.
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It is certainly one of the worst-kept secrets in Spain that Fernando Llorente will depart Bilbao in January. The Spanish international has refused to sign a new contract at Bilbao and has spent much of the early season on the sidelines. He has enjoyed more action in recent weeks, but there is certainly no love lost between the 27-year-old and Bilbao boss Marcelo Bielsa.
The striker, who scored 29 goals for Bilbao last season, will be on the market for around £12m, a figure that could be met by most of the clubs in the Premier League. It is unlikely that Manchester United will move for the powerful forward, but Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are certainly in the running.
Leo Baptistao (Rayo Vallecano)
The Brazilian striker has scored six league goals this season and has a buy-out clause of just £6.5m. It is unlikely that he will attract interest from either of the Manchester clubs in the Premier League, not for now anyway, but the 21-year-old is well on his way to becoming an international for his country. His time in Spain had previously been disrupted by injuries, but he is now impressing in his first full season.
The likes of Everton and Liverpool have reportedly made subtle enquires about his availability and a January offer could be submitted by either of the Merseyside clubs. Described by Sky Sports News pundit Guillem Balague as a player that "will reach double figures in goals and assists and is a very tall striker", a number of Premier League clubs could certainly do a lot worse.
Iago Aspas (Celta Vigo)
The phrase 'cult hero' is perhaps bandied about too easily in the current climate. However, the 25-year-old striker is certainly the golden child of Celta Vigo. Adored by his teammates and supporters alike, the Spaniard's goals helped the club into Spain's top division. A total of 23 in 34 games secured their passage from the Segunda Division and he has continued his form into the new season.
A return of six league goals from 12 matches has made him one of the in-form strikers in Spain and with a release clause in the region of £8m, he could emerge as one of the signings of the season. He is not particularly known for his goals, rather his workrate and incredible eye for a pass. In many ways he is similar to West Bromwich Albion's Shane Long and could have a similar impact as the Irishman, should a Premier League side take a gamble.
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Rami is not exactly an unknown quantity, but many outside of Spain are not really aware of just how good the Frenchman is. Valencia certainly are and will fight tooth and nail to keep him at the club, but there have been suggestions that he is keen to try his hand in the Premier League. It hasn't been the best of starts to the season by Valencia, and with managerial changes at the club, he could attempt to jump ship in January.
Neither Manchester club nor Chelsea are defending particularly well in the Premier League this season and the Frenchman could easily slot into any of those three sides. It is not clear whether the central defender has a release clause in his contract, but teams in Spain are certainly not in a position to reject big offers from abroad.
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The 25-year-old has been a key member of the Betis side that have emerged as Champions League contenders. He has scored three goals and assisted five in 12 league games this season and has four Spanish caps to his name. Betis have so far been unable to tie the Spaniard to a long-term deal and with his current contract expiring in 2014, the club may be forced into a sale.
Manchester City have reportedly already registered an interest in the central midfielder, but the Spanish club are yet to receive a concrete offer. He is a typically classy Spanish player on the ball, with a wide range of passing and keen eye for a goal. It is also unlikely that he would command huge wages, having come from one of the so-called smaller clubs in La Liga.
Matt Law
