Villarreal, Real Betis & Las Palmas Recruitment Analysis: La Liga’s Best Winter Transfers 2024/2025

The winter transfer window is usually filled with teams scrambling to sign players who can instantly contribute to their respective team’s overall aspirations, whether that relates to a bid to stay in the division or potentially challenge right at the top.

We have also seen some top European clubs find an opportunity to acquire talented players for the future, but this was not necessarily the case in La Liga this season.

As one of the world’s marquee league competitions, clubs in Spain’s top flight spent a total of €26.1m during the winter transfer window, ranking only 16th among professional football leagues worldwide.

The English Premier League topped those charts with a whopping €500M expenditure in January, which really begins to portray just how quiet the transfer activity was in Spain.

This can be attributed to several key factors, but most notably, the recognition that budget restraints and compliance with financial regulations are at the forefront of every team’s mind.

With both Barcelona and Real Madrid focusing on free-agent signings for the upcoming summer window and a clear emphasis on contract renewals for their current superstars, we saw very little movement towards the top end of La Liga.

Therefore, our tactical analysis and scouting report will begin to highlight several smart acquisitions which allowed other LaLiga outfits to bolster their key problem areas ahead of a crucial second half of the season.

Tajon Buchanan Scout Report At Villarreal

The beginning of 2025 marks another key timestamp on the road to a huge year for North America in 2026, with one Canadian footballer, in particular, looking to improve his overall stock before the upcoming World Cup.

Tajon Buchanan has made the switch from Inter to Villarreal on loan, with the Canadian seeming to struggle for impactful minutes in Milan, where he could continue his professional development.

Buchanan has established himself as a regular within his national setup.

Fans have come to appreciate the more nuanced elements of his game rather than his raw pace and energy, which allowed him to move from the MLS to mainland Europe.

He struggled to play regular minutes at Inter, especially considering that Buchanan has been plagued by a tibia injury that cut short his chance to impress on the global stage during last summer’s Copa América.

Under Simone Inzaghi’s leadership, Buchanan has operated as the right wing-back in Inter’s famous 3-5-2 setup.

It has allowed the Canadian to showcase his attacking desire when isolated in 1v1 dribble scenarios on the right flank.

He consistently looks to bypass opposing full-backs with his raw speed before crafting high-quality chances in the final third.

However, in this hybrid role, Buchanan also has to remain sharp when out of possession to conduct his defensive duties, making timely interceptions and winning duels to help relieve pressure.

It begs the question as to what sort of role Tajon Buchanan will have when we consider the personnel that Villarreal already has and, most importantly, how these positions are utilised in Marcelino’s tactical setup.