Madrid, Aug 9 : With La Liga due to kick off the 2025-26 season in less than a week, last year's top four teams are all at slightly different points in their respective preparations. Domestic and European competitions hardly gave any respite ahead of next summer's FIFA World Cup finals.

Reigning La Liga and Copa del Rey champion FC Barcelona have made two signings in striker Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Joan Garcia, but have so far not been able to register either that pair or Gerard Martin and Wojciech Szczesny in their first-team squad due to Spain's strict financial fair play regulations.

That leaves Inaki Pena as the only first-team goalkeeper currently available, and has forced the team to take the shock decision to allow central defender Inigo Martinez to join Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr on a free transfer to free up salary under the wage ceiling, reports Xinhua.

The club has also pressured Marc-Andre ter Stegen to sign a medical report to say he will be out of action for five months, which will allow the club to use 80 per cent of his salary to register Rashford and company.

Barca had a successful pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea that showed once again how important young winger Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and midfielder Pedri are, and if none of them get injured in what promises to be another gruelling campaign, Barca will start as the favourite to retain the title.

Real Madrid have a new coach in Xabi Alonso and new signings in defenders Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Alvaro Carreras, with Huijsen looking very impressive in the summer's Club World Cup.

The big problem for Alonso is a lack of preparation time after playing in the United States until mid-July, with his players only reporting back for training on August 4, just two weeks before starting the season at home to Osasuna.

Alonso will also be without Jude Bellingham for the opening weeks after he had an operation on a long-standing shoulder injury, and the doubt is whether Alonso will play with a flat back four or three central defenders and wingbacks, with the latter likely to suit Alexander-Arnold.

The coach will also probably want to see more pressing high up the field from Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius in attack, but if the pair gel, then Real Madrid will be title candidates.

Atletico Madrid have also spent heavily this summer, bringing in midfielders Johnny Cardoso and Thiago Almada, winger Alex Baena, and defenders Matteo Ruggeri and David Hancko as Diego Simeone's side looks to improve on last season's third place.

The club has retained strikers Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez, who scored 37 La Liga goals between them last season, and if Simeone shows ambition, rather than allowing his defensive instincts to rule, Atletico certainly has the talent to challenge, although Simeone's men also go into the new season slightly short of preparation after the Club World Cup.

Athletic Bilbao ended last season in fourth place under coach Ernesto Valverde. Athletic's big win of the summer was keeping star player Nico Williams amid interest from Barcelona, while attacking midfielder Robert Navarro and full-back Jesus Areso look to be good additions to the squad.

Athletic's pre-season was complicated by a suspension for defender Yeray Alvarez after the two-time cancer survivor tested positive for a product to prevent hair loss, robbing Valverde of a key player, while another defender, Unai Egiluz, suffered a season-ending knee injury in a friendly.

Athletic's season could depend to an extent on whether it is successful in its efforts to tempt Spain international defender Aymeric Laporte back to the club, and if they do, they will be tough to beat, especially in the passionate San Mames Stadium.

/IANS