For Alaves, the summer has presented a gale of change, rather than simply winds. Coach Mauricio Pellegrino chose to swap Vitoria for Southampton, with plenty of loanees that aided the club to a historic Copa del Rey final appearance also going on their merry way. The start of the La Liga season, therefore, has not been without its teething problems, but the late signings of both Bojan Krkic and Munir El Haddadi have added an extra potency to the Basques’ attack.
Last season, Alaves' first back in the Spanish first division for a decade, was a story of great success. Brilliant loan signings helped them achieve the unexpected, a top-half finish, but that cycle has already come to an end. Marcos Llorente returned to Real Madrid after playing a starring role in midfield, with Theo Hernandez swapping Atletico Madrid for Los Blancos too. Victor Camarasa returned to Levante, before being promptly sold to Real Betis, where he was joined by centre back Zouhair Feddal. Pellegrino’s main striker Deyverson, also owned by Levante, was quickly sent back to his home country to turn out for Palmeiras.
Essentially, the team’s spine has been ripped out. Fernando Pacheco continues in goal, and has shown over the last 12 months why he is an excellent, reliable and consistent shot stopper, but otherwise the face of Alaves has irreversibly changed. Given the club’s modest budget, and the sheer fact that landing so many successful loanees in one campaign is unlikely at best, their squad has taken a step down in terms of quality.
Alexis Ruano will play a more consistent role at centre back, with Alfonso Pedraza playing a little out of position as a bullish left back. Mubarak Wakaso has arrived after a loan spell for relegated Granada last term, while the likes of Tomas Pina, Burgui, Enzo Zidane and Alvaro Medran arrived this summer as players yet to find their footballing home or set level. That is the charm of Alaves, after their excellent 2016/2017 campaign highlighted to many that consistent football for a top-flight club can pave the way for bigger and better things. Ask Theo Hernandez.
Bojan and Munir most certainly fall into that category. Just as Burgui, Fernando Pacheco, Enzo Zidane and Alvaro Medran know that it is tough to break their way into Real Madrid’s first team squad, the ex-Barcelona duo have tasted similarly mixed luck at Camp Nou. Before 2011, Bojan had been in around the Blaugrana first team for a few years, but never with true permanence. Munir, too, barely got his foot in the door, with the presence of the club’s brilliant front three ensuring that both he and Sandro Ramirez have had to look for opportunities elsewhere.
After two disappointing offensive performances in LaLiga thus far, which means that Alaves are yet to hit the back of the net in the 2017/2018 season, it was clear that the club needed to bring in some support for frontman Ruben Sobrino. In Bojan and Munir, they certainly have that, and both players will be comfortable playing in a range of positions across the front three. It gives El Glorioso plenty of options, with new young coach Luis Zubeldia now blessed with a variety that may be enough to scramble clear of relegation.
Munir arrives after a full season on loan with Valencia last term, where he was not a regular goalscorer but often worked hard for the team out on the wing. The Spain international now has the platform to show that he can hit the back of the net with consistently at the top level. After spending much of his fledgling career filling in the gaps of an attack that he was never realistically going to crowbar his way into, now is the time to make the step up - not least with La Roja boss Julen Lopetegui lacking striking options ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
Bojan’s situation is a little different, with injuries being the main reason behind his inability to build up any kind of momentum. Now at the age of 27, time is of the essence. Like Munir, he has just a singular Spain cap to his name, but the dream of doubling his participation in the national team has passed him by. Returning back to Spain, playing regular football and enjoying being on the pitch should be the priority, and Alaves showed last season that they can provide the perfect environment and support network for players to kick on.
Throughout their careers, Bojan and Munir have always needed support, but there have been many times where it is a little unclear as to whether their respective clubs have had the same co-dependence. Alaves are in need of firepower, as young boss Zubeldia tries to embark on a huge rebuilding project. Perhaps for the first times in their careers, the duo are undisputedly vital to the sporting aims of the collective. After years of searching, Vitoria could be the perfect home for two players that need to get a smile back on their faces.
