Atletico Madrid and Juventus have reportedly joined Barcelona in the race to sign Jose Gaya from Valencia in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, newly-appointed Valencia manager Jose Bordalas is sweating over the future of Jose Gaya heading into the summer transfer window. The 26-year-old Spanish international is the subject of interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Gaya joined Valencia’s academy in 2006 before subsequently making swift progress in the youth setup. The Spaniard broke into Los Che’s first-team squad in 2012 and has since grown leaps and bounds to now become a pivotal figure at the Mestalla while also establishing himself as a regular for his national side.
The 26-year-old reached his pinnacle at Valencia ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, when the exit of Dani Parejo elevated him to the role of club captain and he enjoyed a productive enough season, with 1 goal and 7 assists in 33 La Liga outings, although Valencia endured a tumultuous term. Gaya, though, remains as highly rated as ever, as suggested by the interest from Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
Barcelona hold a long-standing interest in Gaya and there have even been murmurings of an offer from the Catalan giants. The keenness to sign the Spanish international is not unfounded either, as Junior Firpo has failed to make any sort of impression since arriving from Real Betis, while Jordi Alba is on the wrong side of 30 and nearing the final phase of his career.
In Gaya, Barcelona can have a player who can initially compete with Alba before taking over from his compatriot as a long-term solution at left-back. As for Atletico Madrid, there is a distinct absence of a natural left-back in the first-team squad apart from Renan Lodi, who blew hot and cold this term.
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As a result, Atletico Madrid have been linked with a number of left-backs in recent times, including Alba, whose future at Barcelona is uncertain. Meanwhile, Juventus need to start phasing out Alex Sandro, beyond whom there is little in way of quality options. As a result, Gaya is a viable target for the Bianconeri, who are beginning a period of transition under Massimiliano Allegri.
Therefore, a three-way battle seems to be setting up in pursuit of Gaya, with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Juventus hot on his trails. What now remains to be seen is if newly-appointed manager Jose Bordalas can convince the 26-year-old Spanish international to stay put at the Mestalla or if some interested party manages to swoop him away instead.
