Inside La Liga's academy revolution: The clever tactics used to avoid spending millions in the transfer window - including a mental health app and psychologists on the bench
Here, the finest minds in Spanish football spend hours each day communicating with clubs across the first and second divisions, working to help them streamline their academy operations. Premier League sides led global spending with £3.5bn, followed by Serie A (£1.22bn), the Bundesliga (£839m) and the Saudi Pro League (£682m). What we are trying to achieve is that balance between (homegrown) players and players who bring value and talent to La Liga.' It's important because we are capable of bringing about the best players in the Spanish league. Despite their relatively small stature compared to their noisy neighbours, many of the stars to have passed through Espanyol's academy doors are household names today.
Source: Daily Mail March 07, 2026 14:07 UTC
