Dépor are playing manager mode on easy difficulty: Aubameyang, Adama and 26 million from a newly promoted side. Cinema.

What's up, legends? Today I'm here to talk about a phenomenon I've been watching for weeks with a mix of admiration, disbelief and sheer envy: Deportivo de La Coruña are basically playing a career mode in real life. And not just any career mode: one of those where you start with a freshly promoted side, tweak the budget a couple of times "because it's my save and I'll do what I want", and by matchday three you're top with Aubameyang as your centre forward. Well, that's happening, but IN REALITY. Absolutely cinema.

Collage with Deportivo de La Coruña's star signings 2026/27: Asp Jensen, Adama Traoré, Aubameyang, Giménez and Angeliño — The "here we go" as a collage: this isn't a squad, it's a video game cover. 📸 via social media

💼 The chairman with the chequebook: 26 million for a promoted side

Context: Dépor came back to the top flight this summer after EIGHT years away — Primera RFEF included — and normally in these cases you're looking at loans, free agents and a prayer to Saint Rita. What Juan Carlos Escotet, the Abanca banker running the club, did was the opposite: roughly 26 million euros across six transfers — the official starting figure was 21.5, but the Ede deal ended up costing triple what they announced —, with total sales of… 500,000 euros (Luis Chacón to Valladolid). That's a minus of 25 million with a smile. That, pal, is hitting "accept" in the confirmation window without reading the financial director's warning message. Maximum respect.

🧾 The career mode squad, one by one

Leo Román (9M€, clause to Mallorca): the big payment. A top-tier keeper triggering his clause without haggling — on a level with what Dépor paid back in the day for Djalminha, and that's heavyweight currency in A Coruña.
Asp Jensen (6M€, from BAYERN): Danish striker, 20 years old, bought from the German giants. Signing Bayern academy jewels as a promoted club: career mode box, ticked.
Amatucci (2.5M€, Fiorentina) and Gijselhart (1M€, Dutch Graafschap): midfield talent scouted across Europe with the "under-22" filter on.
Bright Ede (6M€ — announced at 1.5 and ended up at triple): Polish centre-back, 19 years old, wanted by Manchester United and Chelsea. Let me repeat: United and Chelsea. And he signed for Dépor. This save's scout has the wonderkid finder permanently enabled.
Aubameyang (1.5M€, two years): the star DLC. We'll get to him in a moment.
Angeliño, on loan: a Champions-level left-back for a promoted side. No big deal.
At no transfer cost, Adama Traoré: the fastest man in Spanish football, coming home from the Premier.
And the final hammer blow, on DEADLINE DAY, in two separate deals: Marc Casadó, loaned by Barcelona (with a 30-million option — non-binding, but there's the kicker) and José María Giménez, loaned by Atlético with an option. A La Masia midfielder and a Uruguayan warrior with over a decade of elite football. At a promoted club. On deadline day. Seriously.

Official welcome poster for Marc Casadó, loaned by Barcelona to Deportivo for 26/27

Official welcome poster for José María Giménez, loaned by Atlético to Deportivo for 26/27

Deadline day welcomes: La Masia and the Metropolitano, heading to Riazor. 📸 RC Deportivo

🎮 Gamer translation of Dépor's transfer window: galactic spending on the key position (keeper), three wonderkids aged 19-21 bought from Bayern, Fiorentina and the United radar, a legendary veteran basically given away for free to score goals, and a turbo winger for the counter. And in the dying moments, two elite loans pulled out of Barcelona and Atlético. It's LITERALLY the squad you build in career mode when you want to win the league in three seasons. All they're missing is a Pauleta regen.

⚡ The Aubameyang Effect (and Adama's turbo mode)

And the man who's changed everything is the Gabonese lad. Aubameyang, 37 years old, 1.5 million transfer fee — he was earning 4.5 million at Marseille, so there's heart in this deal as well as contract — debuted with a screamer and at Riazor they're already talking about the "Aubameyang Effect": three wins from three to kick off the season, a record in sight and even a promise to his grandfather to fulfil, according to Galician sources. A guy who's played Champions League for Barcelona, Arsenal and Dortmund, electric like he's 25 again, turning Riazor upside down. And next to him, Adama breaking the sound barrier down the wing. Dépor haven't signed players: they've signed an Amazon Prime original series.

Aubameyang celebrating a goal with Deportivo de La Coruña at Riazor — The face of the "Aubameyang Effect". 📸 RC Deportivo

Official presentation of Adama Traoré as a Deportivo de La Coruña player at Riazor — Adama and the Riazor seats, which don't know what's coming their way. 📸 RC Deportivo

🤔 And can they sustain it? The honest reflection

And here's the thing: signing is only half the game — the other half is hitting "reject offer" — and Dépor have absolutely nailed that too, holding on to Yeremay (the crown jewel half of Europe wanted), Mario Soriano, Noubi and Nsongo. Selling off the promotion stars would've been easy; keeping them ALL while signing everyone else is playing with the sliders cranked. The million-euro question (well, 26 million): is it sustainable? Escotet runs the club with Abanca's chequebook behind him, the project mixes media veterans with young, resaleable assets — which is exactly how you do this right —, and Riazor is as fired up as in the SuperDépor days. Risk? Absolutely: if the young jewels don't shine and the veteran fades, the adjustment will hurt. But right now the plan is THREE FROM THREE and me, someone who loves football, can only say one thing: I hope we're playing them soon in the top flight so I can suffer them in person at Riazor. For now I'm watching from afar with affection, with popcorn… and with the envious feeling of someone who's been waiting twenty years for their own career mode. Herculinos: enjoy it, because these saves don't come around every year. PUXA (and a hug for Galicia). 🔴⚪💙