Almeria might be coming back up to La Liga for the first time in 7 years, but not many are backing them to go back down.
With stronger financial backing than many towards the bottom of the table, Almeria are set to make an assault on La Liga and could spring a few surprises next season.
Following the sale of Darwin Nunez to Benfica, star striker Umar Sadiq may well be the next out the door this summer, but Almeria will back themselves to replace the Nigerian. They have however forged ahead with strengthening their squad ahead of next season with right-back Houboulang Mendes.
The 24-year-old arrives from FC Lorient where he was a regular in Ligue 1 and in previous seasons had even drawn interest from Arsenal. Signing on a free, his contract will run until 2026.
Mendes is their second signing of the summer following the transfer of Gui Guedes, an exciting 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder. He arrives from Vitoria Guimaraes for the not insignificant fee of €3m.