£7.6 million After his accomplishments in the Champions League, Girona, owned by Man City, is mocked by the Liverpool flop.
Even though Iago Aspas permanently left Liverpool almost ten years ago, the Premier League’s influence is still felt by the attacker. The Spaniard joined Anfield from Celta Vigo in the summer of 2013 for a rumored £7.6 million transfer price, however the move was unsuccessful as he only scored once and provided one assist in 15 games across all competitions.
Since permanently returning to Balaidos, by way of Sevilla, in the summer of 2015, Aspas has regained his scoring prowess. He has consistently scored double figures in La Liga for eight consecutive seasons, and he needs to score two goals against Valencia in Celta’s final game of the season on Sunday to maintain this streak.
Looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, Aspas aims to assist Celta in qualifying for European competition, most likely the UEFA Europa Conference League due to the club’s financial constraints. However, he acknowledges the challenge, especially with emerging contenders like Girona.
Girona, based in Catalonia, have been a surprise package in the Spanish top-flight this season. While they were once in contention for the title, their form dipped, but they secured a top-three finish early, guaranteeing them a spot in next season’s Champions League.
Certainly, Girona, partly owned by the Abu Dhabi owners of Manchester City, have raised concerns for Aspas. He implied that their successful season wouldn’t have been achievable without the involvement of three crucial players either loaned to or sold via Manchester City, including the Brazilian star Savio.
In an interview with Marca, as reported by Mundo Deportivo, Aspas highlighted the financial gap between clubs, stating, “By budget, we are in the range from ninth to eleventh. Nowadays, the jump to Europe is very difficult due to the difference in budgets and the distribution of money. You can achieve it like Girona, with the support it has from Manchester City, because otherwise Girona couldn’t have those players. I would like to return to Europe but today I find it difficult, I think we have to move between eighth and tenth place.”