Five most valuable footballers in La Liga right now

Bengaluru, Jan 13: La Liga has taken the mantle of officially being the top league in Europe for quite a few years now thanks to the sheer dominance of Spanish clubs in Europe over the past two decades.

In the last 20 years, Barcelona and Real Madrid have shared 10 Champions Leagues between them which shows how much La Liga has been ahead of the rest of the pack.

Also out of the last 20 winners of the Europa League, 10 have been from Spain. Therefore, it is hardly a surprise that a number of the best players in the world dream of playing in Spain as it has become the most prestigious league in world football.

A number of top footballing superstars play in the La Liga and here we take a look at the five most valuable players in the Spanish top flight.

5. Casemiro (Real Madrid) - €70 million

Arguably one of the most underrated footballers in the world right now, Casemiro currently stands as the most valuable Real Madrid player. He has been one of the most important players at Santiago Bernabeu in recent years if not the most. The 28-year-old not only does his job with perfection and consistency but also contributes pretty well in the attack which is evident from his four goals for Real Madrid this time out.

4. Ansu Fati (Barcelona) - €80 million

Things have not gone in favour of Barcelona over the past couple of seasons but like a ray of hope in darkness, youngster Ansu Fati has emerged from La Masia. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the finest talents in world football right now and is tipped to become the cornerstone of the Barcelona side in their post Lionel Messi era. The Spanish wonderkid has scored five goals in just 10 games this season before suffering a knee injury and he is expected to return back to action in March.

3. Lionel Messi (Barcelona) - €80 million

Regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game if not the very best, Lionel Messi still manages to mesmerize the world every time he is on the pitch. The 33-year-old was the most valuable footballer in the whole world for more than a decade but his value is fast receding with his age. However, the Argentine still looks as good as he always has been and still remains the best player in La Liga despite his club Barcelona enduring tough times.

2. Jan Oblak (Atletico Madrid) - €90 million

A goalkeeper in the second place in this list speaks volume about the ability and quality of Jan Oblak. The 28-year-old is arguably the finest shot stopper in the world right now and he is exceptionally consistent as well. The Slovenian international is incredibly difficult to beat and it is evident from his 152 clean sheets in 219 games for Atletico Madrid till date.

1. Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) - €100 million

The most expensive footballer in the history of Atletico Madrid, Joao Felix had a poor debut campaign at Wanda Metropolitano but he is finally showing why he earned so much hype at a teenager at Benfica which made Atletico break the bank for him.

The 21-year-old Portuguese international has already scored 8 goals so far this season and he will be key if Atletico are to win the league title this time around.