Real Madrid successfully reclaimed the La Liga title last season as they were far and away the best team in Spain. And they managed to win without the help of Gareth Bale, who was relegated to Real bench for most of the season despite his massive salary.
Bale leads the list of SBOTOP’s most under-utilised La Liga stars during the 2021-22 season, and read on to learn who else made the cut.
Gareth Bale, Real Madrid
Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale was far and away the most under-utilised player in La Liga last season. The Welsh star was the third-highest paid player in Europe behind only Neymar and Lionel Messi, but he made just five La Liga appearances and scored only one goal for Los Blancos in the 2021-22 season. Even fellow Real outcast Isco and the crocked Eden Hazard made well over double-digit appearances.
Bale’s hardly been the most reliable player himself due to his constant injury issues, but he still could have played more than just a handful of games and contributed to Real’s title-winning campaign.
Alas, he clearly wasn’t part of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans. Moreover, his strained relationship with Real and their fans – especially after his infamous flag incident – meant it was just a matter of time before his time in Madrid came to an end.
And it finally did this summer as he made his way to MLS with LAFC. Hopefully, he can stay healthy and get much more playing time in LA than he did with Real last season.
Dani Ceballos, Real Madrid
After spending two years out on loan to Arsenal, Dani Ceballos returned to Real Madrid in 2021 hoping to get more playing time.
But that did not turn out to be the case as Ceballos appeared in just 11 games for Los Blancos, the lowest total in his three actual seasons with the club.
With the holy trinity of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro still going strong, Fede Valverde fully established as an Ancelotti favourite, Eduardo Camavinga set to take on a larger role, and big-money signing Aurelien Tchouameni expected to take up the remaining minutes, there just doesn’t seem to be any space for Ceballos in Real’s midfield.
The talented 25-year-old will most likely have to move away from Madrid in order to get more consistent playing time. But Real’s La Liga 2022 odds to win the title will remain high with or without him.
Clement Lenglet, Barcelona
After being a consistent starter at centre-back in each of his first three seasons at Camp Nou, Lenglet’s role was significantly reduced in 2021-22 as he made just 21 appearances, 14 of which were as a substitute.
Granted, Lenglet was not in the best of form when he did play. But new signing Eric Garcia also had his troubles this past season and was still handed 23 starts – over three times more than Lenglet.
Lenglet has now gone out on loan to Tottenham this summer and could get more playing time in Spurs’ back three system.
Denis Cheryshev, Valencia
Four years ago, Denis Cheryshev was on top of the world. The Russian midfielder was one of the standout stars as he led his country’s unlikely run to the 2018 World Cup quarter-finals. He scored four goals – tied with superstars Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku, and Antoine Griezmann – and was picked as part of the tournament’s All-Star Team.
But fast forward to today and the now-31-year-old Cheryshev is coming off a disappointing campaign with Valencia. He made just 17 appearances (five starts) for Los Che, with no goals and an assist.
Cheryshev’s contract with Valencia expired at the end of the season, and he is now free to sign with any club. At 31, it’s unlikely he can recapture the magic of 2018, but he should still have a bit more to offer if given a chance to play more consistently.
Matheus Cunha, Atletico Madrid
There are a few Atletico Madrid players who could be considered under-utilised, many of them attackers. Midfielders Thomas Lemar and Rodrigo de Paul both came to the side with big price tags and bigger expectations, but have not quite lived up to them.
However, Matheus Cunha might have been the most under-utilised of them all. The 22-year-old Brazilian forward had a fine debut season as he scored six goals and had four assists. He also led the team in both shots and shots on target per 90 minutes.
But despite Cunha’s impressive production, he was limited to just eight starts and 21 substitute appearances as Diego Simeone continued to stick with the big names in Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann even though they were in steady decline. With Suarez’s departure this summer, Cunha should get more minutes and more opportunities to produce plenty of La Liga 2022 highlights at the Wanda Metropolitano.
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