Villarreal, known for selling their strikers, seems to offload one every year at a reasonable price. Will Aiyong be the next one on the list next year?

There are too many small clubs in Europe’s major leagues, particularly in La Liga, where, except for the big three—Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico—clubs rarely spend heavily. Some, like Villarreal, are known for nurturing stars to sell; they’ve transferred their leading striker each summer for three years in a row.

Here’s a look at Villarreal’s striker sales over the past three years:

• In the summer of 2023, Villarreal sold Jacksonto Chelsea for €37 million. He was a product of their own youth academy and was sold after just one season with the first team.
• In the 2024 summer transfer window, Villarreal transferred Sørlothto Atletico Madrid for €32 million. He had only joined from Leipzig the previous summer for €10 million, and after just one season, he was sold.
• In the summer of 2025, Villarreal sold Thierno Barryto Everton for €30 million. He had just been bought from Basel for €20 million the previous summer and was sold after a single season.
• After selling Thierno Barry, Villarreal immediately promoted Aiyongfrom their B team to the first team. In the opening round of La Liga, Aiyong scored a goal, helping Villarreal secure a 2-0 win over newly promoted Real Oviedo.

This shows Villarreal’s knack for developing strikers—typically selling them after just one season for tens of millions of euros to keep the club running. Judging by their pattern, Aiyong could be sold in the summer of 2026. Let’s wait and see! This is how La Liga clubs outside the big three survive, which also explains why Real Betis can’t afford Antony. Currently, even mid-to-lower Premier League clubs have more purchasing power than most La Liga teams.