5 worst transfers of the season in La Liga
Away from the champagne at Real Madrid, clubs were left shaking their heads, regretting the purchases of footballers who failed to live up to expectations.
Andre Gomes (Valencia to Barcelona)
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Barcelona paid €35 million to sign Andre Gomes from Valencia, plus up to €20 million more depending on the performances of the Portuguese midfielder and the Blaugrana. In retrospect, it was an exorbitant transfer fee. He made 17 starts in La Liga and only scored three goals, two of which came in the Catalan club's 7-1 thrashing of CA Osasuna.
Nicolas Gaitan (Benfica to Atletico Madrid)
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Nicolas Gaitan was at the heart of Benfica's journey to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but the Argentinian winger was limited to just 189 minutes as Atletico Madrid reached the tournament's semi-finals. Atleti paid €25 million for his services, but he made more appearances as a substitute than he did as a starter in La Liga, and injuries didn't help his cause.
Roman Zozulya (Real Betis to Rayo Vallecano)
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In Spain, where football and politics are deeply intertwined, Real Betis made a gigantic mistake in January by shipping Roman Zuzulya to Rayo Vallecano, a left-wing club in the Segunda Division whose supporters dubbed the Ukrainian striker as a neo-Nazi. The loan stint lasted hours, all because of a picture that was taken in August 2016 in which his shirt features a Ukrainian crest that was confused for the symbol of Pravyi Sektor, a neo-Nazi group. He denied having far-right views in an open letter and returned to the Estadio Benito Villamarin to train, but couldn't play again as league rules prohibit footballers from registering for more than two clubs in a single season.
Martin Demichelis (RCD Espanyol on free transfer)
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Martin Demichelis' career faded quietly. The Argentinian centre-back arrived at RCD Espanyol on a free transfer after being released by Manchester City, but, the signing never lived up to the hype. He made all of two appearances for Los Periquitos before returning to Malaga - who he represented between 2011 and 2013 - for the rest of the season, and announced his retirement in May.
Uche Henry Agbo (Watford to Granada CF)
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Nobody had a worse disciplinary record in La Liga than Uche Henry Agbo, who was listed as an Under-21 player at Watford and spent the season at Granada CF. The Nigerian defender collected two dismissals and 12 yellow cards in 31 appearances, and, in one instance, received two bookings in three minutes. If that wasn't bad enough, he was part of a defence that conceded 82 goals.