Who is the third significant goodbye? I am sad Joaquin Correa has left Sevilla for Lazio of Serie A and will miss studying the development of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Fabian Ruiz, now at Chelsea and Napoli respectively, before we had time to see them flower at Athletic and Betis.
But the standout guy, whose departure robs us of greatness, romanticism and achievement is Fernando Torres. El Nino broke records, restored Atletico to the elite, returned from England and left with his hands on a European trophy. When will they see his like again?
Speak up neutrals, is it not true that you crave Atletico or Valencia knocking the big two over and lifting a rare title? There is a chance. It remains slim, but is fatter than last year.
In Marcelino, Valencia have a superb coach and a squad both battle-hardened and better equipped, thanks to shrewd signings like Mouctar Diakhaby, Cristiano Piccini, Michy Batshuayi, Kevin Gameiro, Daniel Wass and Denis Cheryshev, plus the conversion of Geoffrey Kondogbia from loanee to permanent staff member. They have “won” the transfer market and are a more implacable rival than last season. Title challengers? Perhaps.
There is no escaping that Barcelona will be hard to prise away from top spot, because if Lionel Messi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti, Jordi Alba, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez are focused and determined, rather than distracted or tired, they are already “habituals.”
Madrid? The good bet is that they are a better league team without Ronaldo, specifically because they will fight hard to become a better “team.” His loss is graver in Europe and, quite possibly, a determining factor in them not retaining the Champions League.
With the addition of goals before the transfer market shuts at the end of August, Lopetegui can make his new charges more title-competitive than last season.
However, given that Barcelona and Madrid have a certain degree of flux, World Cup tiredness to deal with and are under vastly higher pressure, there is a slight chance that Atletico can repeat their amazing feat of 2013-14.
Not simply keeping Oblak, Griezmann and Godin, but hearing each of them actively turn down mega-money moves to Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester United respectively, is a sign that the greats in the squad believe glory is near.
They have also bought well, and if their youth system is regularly trusted by Simeone, then while it is fair to say that Barcelona should win the title, it is equally fair to suggest that Atletico might.
For reasons already mentioned, it will surprise me if the top four are not Atletico, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia (though not necessarily in that order!).
It will also raise an eyebrow if fifth and sixth — the only Liga slots that guarantee Europa League football — are not occupied by the two clubs from Seville. Betis and their city rivals have the pedigree, quality of coach, squad, summer signings, fan base and attitude to tilt at the top four but accept the next best.
Snapping at their heels, or perhaps biting their legs off if my judgement is wrong, should be Real Sociedad and Villarreal.
Everyone else needs to focus on a shock Copa del Rey win … and avoiding the drop.
Speaking of which … Many will look at the three promoted sides and think that Rayo Vallecano are on a yo-yo between the Segunda and Primera, that Real Valladolid have long been mired in the second tier and that Huesca, although a romantic story in their debut campaign as a top-table team, won’t cut it.
Three up, then; nine months or so later, three down.
Except that the last few seasons have seen Eibar, Girona, Leganes, Alaves and Levante come up and stay up, to La Liga’s great benefit.
Rayo do not benefit from having to play so many Madrid derbies and, looking at their defending, I am not sure that they will keep their goals against column sufficiently acceptable.
All three new arrivals need to have signed well and, on that front, Huesca look as if they have acted shrewdly by acquiring Xabier Etxeita, Luisinho, Pablo Insua and Ruben Semedo.
As for established clubs that might be toe-to-toe with the upstarts in a battle against the drop, consider Espanyol, despite an outrageously successful preseason; Girona, who will badly miss departed coach Pablo Machin; Celta, where there is too much chopping and changing; and Alaves, whose coach, the excellent Abelardo, will save them again.