Premier League duo Manchester United and Newcastle are reportedly interested in signing Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra, who has a €100 million release clause in his contract.
According to Marca, Manchester United and Newcastle are keeping close tabs on Valencia youngster Javi Guerra with regards to a possible future move. The Spain Under-21 international has a €100 million release clause and a deal until 2027, but Valencia are already considering giving him a wage rise amidst rising interest.
Valencia have a series of youngsters burst onto the scene in La Liga over recent months, but perhaps none more so than Javi Guerra, who is regarded as one of the most gifted players to come out of the club’s academy in recent years.
He made his professional debut for Valencia in a Copa del Rey game in January 2022 under the leadership of Jose Bordalas but had to wait over a year for his La Liga debut, which arrived in April 2023 under Ruben Baraja.
He put in several useful cameo displays in his 10 appearances at the tail end of last season, notably scoring a crucial late winner with a stunning effort from outside the box in stoppage time against Real Valladolid. He’s off to a hot start this season and has become a real factor for Los Che in his fledgling La Liga career, with three goals and an assist in four starts.
The 20-year-old has built a solid reputation due to his ability to control the ball and distribute possession all around the park. He is also a technical player who can dribble and score some bangers from a distance if needed.
And his stellar performances aren’t going unnoticed across Europe, with Manchester United and Newcastle said to be among the clubs that rate the player highly and are following him in “every game.”
Manchester United, for one, have had a patchy start to form, with fans pointing fingers at the ageing midfield duo of Christian Eriksen and Casemiro for having a negative impact on the team’s performance.
After a stunning debut season in Red, Casemiro has had a “really poor start” to the season, and alongside waning Eriksen, the duo is potentially showing worrying signs of not being able to compete physically at the highest level, especially in this United side who are trying to play with a lot of intensity.
It would not be a surprise if United dip into the market for a technically proficient, young, versatile, and energetic midfielder in the upcoming transfer window. And Valencia’s Guerra ticks a lot of boxes in that case.
As for Newcastle, they are closing in on a new long-term contract for key midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, but there may be a release clause in any new contract the Brazilian signs, potentially up towards over £100 million, which is a very achievable figure in today’s crazy inflated market.
There’s a defiant acceptance on Tyneside that they will eventually lose their crown jewel to a big European giant down the line, so ideally they would want a replacement ready to step in his shoes. To that end, Guerra could be a viable option for the holding role due to his tempo-setting attributes.
