Rodrigo Moreno

Name: Rodrigo Moreno Machado

Playing position: Striker
Playing style: Runs Channels

Character: Down to earth, Positive

Factoids: Cousin of Thiago Alcantara and Rafinha from Barcelona

Previous club: Benfica
Number:
Birthday: 6 March 1991 (age 23)
Nationality: Brazilian, Spanish
Height: 1,82 m
Weight: 70kg
Contract ends: 30.06.2015 (Loan)

Previous clubs:

Real Madrid C, 2009

Real Madrid B, 2009-2010

Benfica, 2010-

>Bolton Vanders, 2010-2011 (Loan)

>Valencia CF, 2014 (Loan)

+ Strengths	- Weaknesses
Creativity Great	Headers Terrible
Dribbling Good	Speed Poor

Awards best play	Number	Awards poorest play	Number
Man of the match	0	Worst man of the match	0
Best offense	0	Worst offense	0
Best defense	0	Worst defense	0
Best possession	0	Worst possession	0

Player Rating:

Player Market Value:

Player statistics:

Transfer Market update: Goalkeeper (Updated)

While this wasn't a focus at the beginning of the transfer window, it has now become one of the areas to explore. When Alves renewed his contract, it was seen as a statement of intent from the club declaring the first choice goalkeeper. It ended the debate on who is better to cover this position. We knew one of them has to go and it appears Guaita is now on the exit door.

There was interest at the beginning of the window from Spanish clubs Real Sociedad (to replace Bravo), Sevilla (to compete with Beto) and Getafe (to replace Moya). Both Sociedad and Sevilla have already signed new keepers so the interest has faded. Getafe is the only one that remains. As such, Guaita thought about staying and settling for the fact that he has to compete with Diego Alves. The friendly game against Alianza Lima, made him think otherwise. With Diego Alves injured in the first half, Jaume was chosen as a replacement over Guaita which made it seem as if Guaita has fallen down further to third place in the pecking order.


Guaita's only option now is Getafe which is involved in the same number of competitions as Valencia CF next season, only La Liga and Copa del Rey but it would guarantee his playing time. The problem is that Getafe aren't willing to pay the demand of Valencia CF for Guaita and the player has reportedly urged the club to lower the asking price. The deal in negotiation now sees Valencia CF terminate his contract, as it did with Costa, but Guaita has to forgive his the amount Valencia CF has to pay to break the contract.

Valencia CF have already lined-up a replacement (pretty quick) in 26 year old Celta de Vigo goalkeeper Yoel Rodriguez. In fact, Valencia CF has already submitted an offer, which further indicates Guaita is on his way out. With this Valencia CF would have a third goalkeeper to compete with Alves and Jaume. While Yoel is praised to be quite good, he is another keeper who is in his prime, the same as with Guaita which could cause problems later.

Valencia CF have reached an agreement with the player for the next four seasons. The price will be about 2 million euros but Valencia CF is still negotiating with Celta Vigo. The club hopes to announce the signing before the team returns to Valencia from Chile (for the friendly game tomorrow).

Any thought on Yoel Rodriguez? Good enough replacement or not? Any thoughts on the goalkeeping situation in general?

Valencia CF interested in Clement Chantôme

Valencia CF is reportedly interested in 26 year old Paris Saint Germain midfielder Clement Chantôme. The French midfielder is at the bottom of the pecking order of PSG's midfield and was loaned last season to French side Toulouse. He only has one official appearance for the French national team. In addition, to playing in central midfield, he also has the ability to play on the right of midfield. Sevilla is the other team vying for his signature which would cost in the region of 6 million euros (transfermarkt estimate).

I do not follow the French league so I do not know anything else about him or whether he is worth the investment. If you know anything else about him, feel free to share.

Any thoughts on Clement Chantôme? Would you like to see him in Valencia CF or would you opt for Enzo Perez or Zuculini?

Villareal interested in Luciano Vietto

While 20 year old Argentine and Racing striker Luciano Vietto is not a Valencia CF player, this interest means an important decision. When purchasing Rodrigo de Paul from Racing, Rufete also wanted to sign Vietto.

He instead opted for a first refusal option which means that should a team become interested in him, Valencia CF have the right to match that fee and take him instead if they want. Villareal's bid is around 4 million euros, which is not that much considering Vietto is a young player will really high hopes. In fact, Vietto, de Paul and Zuculini (Valencia's other transfer target) were all part of the same golden generation at Racing.

A really creative and powerful striker, he would be a great reinforcement for our Valencia B team and could in a few years become one of the future stars of the team. We said a few posts ago, that this project was about strengthening all aspect of Valencia CF including the youth team and this could be a good step in that if Valencia CF is willing to invest. When Villareal submit an official bid, Valencia CF have only 48 hours to activate the first refusal option.

Any thoughts on Luciano Vietto? Worth the investment or not?

Preseason Coverage: Alianza Lima 2-2 Valencia CF (Pens:9-8)

The first match of the 2014 Euroamericana Cup ends in a loss on penalties. The game saw new signing Rodrigo partner up with Alcacer at the front for the first half but neither Feghouli or Guardado were given game time as they had just joined the group. The first have featured almost complete dominance from the Peruvian side which saw them score twice, leaving a lackluster Valencia down 2-0 at half time. Diego Alves had some sort of uncomfort and was taken off as a precaution. Nuno then brought on Rodrigo de Paul, Robert Ibanez and Barragan for the second half which saw Valencia CF change 180 degrees. The energy from these players made the game exciting to watch and very fast paced. Valencia tied it up with two goals scored in five minutes but ended up losing the shootout directly after full time.

I am still reserving judgement as the team is still in experimental stage with new teammates but I will point out the good things here. One, Piatti was an engine today, he never stopped running and was fighting for everything. He looks like he really wants a place on the team. Even in the first half when the Peruvian side was dominating he didn't give up. Two, Andre Gomes could prove to be a game-changer this season. In the second half when Parejo was subbed off, he had no trouble taking over his role and he lead the comeback by setting up Alcacer beautifully. If he can carry this skill into the season, he will be great. Three, Rodrigo de Paul is also improving and was a fresh burst of energy in the second half. Four, Jaume might very well be a better option than Guaita. He looks really confident and saved four penalties in the shoot-out, albeit 2 were disallowed as he moved early. Other than that, we really need to get working on the defense, Javi Fuego as a makeshift defender wasn't working out.

EDIT: I got to say Parejo was really terrible in the first half, I know he was our best or one of our best players last season, but so far in the preseason he has been really poor, slow in passing, slow to react, the passes haven't been good either, not creating much with them. It was Rodrigo Moreno first match so we can't judge him based on that, but he was really bad in his first match it has to be said. Its obvious that he will improve and sometimes players need up to 3-4 months to fully come into their own after a transfer, but it has to be said that he played really poorly.

Ultimately everyone played bad in the first half, then in the second half it was like a completely different team, Nuno had made few changes and it seemed to work. The gameplay was now fast and fluid, the players seemed to know what to do and had a goal(no pun intended). This lead Valencia CF to two early goals in the second half, equalizing the match and had opportunities to score more, but unfortunately it wasn't going to be.

Overall we didn't get to see a lot of the players, it seems the coach is testing more seriously and trying to really test the players, so he didn't make many changes. Plus Guardado and Feghouli arrived shortly from their vacations and hadn't had the preparation necessary, but I think we might see them feature at least as a sub in the next game.

I'm curious to see how Guardado plays after a successful World Cup, his performances were very good individually, so lets see if he can translate it in Valencia CF. Our left wing position is very pack either way, with Pablo Piatti, Rodrigo De Paul, Guardado, Viera even technically plays there, even though I've always argued he is being wasted there as he is central attacking midfielder and not a winger.

Overall I think its early to tell about the possible performance in the league, it won't be at least 2-3 more weeks that we will be able to seriously judge the team level of performance.

Squads:
Alianza Lima (2): Forsyth, R. Guizasola (. Donayre, m 64), Ibanez, Aparicio, Trujillo, Miguez, Molina, Costa (. Israel, 52 m), Landauri (. G. Guizasola, m 64), Guevgozian ( Uribe, m. 76) and Montes (Gonzalez Vigil, m. 52)
Valencia CF (2): Diego Alves (Jaume, 33 m.), Joao Pereira (Barragan, 46 m.), Victor Ruiz, Otamendi, Cissokho, Javi Fuego, Parejo (Robert, 45 m.), André Gomes, Piatti (Gayá , m. 73), Rodrigo (Rodrigo de Paul, m. 45) and Paco Alcácer

Goals:
1-0 Guevgozian
2-0 Montes
2-1 Alcacer
2-2 Otamendi

Any thoughts on the game?

CaixaBank becomes Valencia CF sponsor

CaixaBank is now officially Valencia CF main sponsor, the club and the bank signed a three year contract.

Additionally, as a result of this agreement, Valencia CF fans who set up a direct debit in CaixaBank will receive a 2014/15 season ticket, with which they can attend La Liga and Copa del Rey games at Mestalla.

This agreement will also allow CaixaBank to install a third bench at Mestalla, to give their clients the opportunity to enjoy games pitchside. They will also develop and activate innovative and numerous actions, directed at the Valencia CF fanbase.

Transfer Market Update: Defense

It should be no surprise that this area of the squad needs reinforcements. First off, we conceded 53 goals last season, and a lot of blame has fallen on poor defending. It really was silly at times, where a Valencia CF lead would disappear in the span of a few minutes of bad defending. In addition, we lost our best defender in Mathieu, Bernat was sold to Bayern, Costa's contract was terminated and Rami was sold to Milan. This leaves, Vezo, Otamendi and Ruiz. I don't know about any of you, but I don't want to see a midfielder filling in for defense as Fuego did last season at times. It was really bad to watch but had to be done.

First up we have none other than 24 year old Argentinean international and Sporting defender Marcos Rojo. Like Mathieu he is a left-back that has been played as center back in recent times. His price range used to be somewhere from 7-10 million but after a great World Cup could reach 15 million euros. Should he reinforce the side, I would like to see him more as a left-back since he is very attack minded. He could cover as CB in case of injury or whenever needed. He is fast and also has a physical presence which is great for a left-back. He doesn't have a EU passport so it would count towards our foreign player limit which is now at 4 (limit is 3) with Jonas, Araujo, de Paul and Otamendi. With Jonas on his way out, Araujo likely to be loaned, and de Paul to get an EU passport before the start of the league, we'll have 2 slots left. One is for Enzo Perez and the other one can be used for this transfer or any other. Rojo appears to be the main target so far since he is left-footed and versatile.

Next on the list is 22 year old Swiss international and Basel defender Fabian Schar. He was part of the Swiss team for the World Cup but his team-mate Djourou would get some starts over him. He was also part of the Basel team that Valencia CF beat 5-0 in the great comeback on aggregate. He did have some great performances though including the first leg where Basel beat Valencia CF 3-0 and is generally seen as a great future prospect. His passport is not an issue. His price is between 5-7 million euros with competition from many Bundesliga clubs. His contract expires next year so this would be the best time to go for him.

Then there is 21 year old Colombian international and River plate defender Eder Balanta. He was part of the World Cup squad at such a young age but spent most of the time on the bench and didn't get much of a chance to impress. Another great future prospect that is yet unproven but his potential have seen so many giants of football go after his signature. He is priced between 8-10 million euros and if Valencia CF want any chance for his signature they have to act fast before losing out. His contract still has three years left before expiry in 2017 and he doesn't have an EU passport.

There is also Konstantinos Manolas, 23 year old Greece international and Olympiacos defender. He has been offered to Valencia CF after the departure of Mathieu. He doesn't have much of a reputation other than in Greece where he is a known for his aerial prowess and phyiscal presence. His contract expires in 2 years (2016) and he would cost from 4-6 million euros.

Finally, there is Martin Demichelis, 33 year old Argentine and Manchester City defender. With Mangala rumored to joining Manchester City, his place in the team is likely gone despite only having arrived this year. The most experienced player on this list and I'm personally not a fan of his. He has had solid performances for Malaga, Argentina and Manchester City in the past. While he would be the cheapest, going for 3 million euros, any ability he has left will continue on its decline, not a good investment. As I mentioned before, especially while playing 4-4-2 with two box-to-box midfielders, we need a fast defender and he doesn't fit that. He has an Italian passport so he wouldn't affect the foreign player limit. There are a lot of other players interested, most recently Napoli.

You may notice that the first four names are really young players, and Rojo is the only one that is actually proven between them. The rest are just future prospects. My guess is that it will be Rojo and one of the others, probably Schar due to the passport issues with Balanta and Manolas being the least proven. The rest will depend on if Nuno wants experiences in the back line (having lost Mathieu and Costa) or a promising talent. The first four are also all both large in stature and quick which is really what is required now. Personally, I would also like to consider Raul Albiol if he's willing to return.

Any thoughts? Rojo, Schar, Balanta, Manolas or Demichelis? Do you think we're looking at the right people? Who else to look at?

Transfer market update: Midfield

After the capture of Rodrigo's signature, Enzo Perez's signature appears to be next and reports say it is close. The Argentinean midfielder fits the profile that Nuno wants in a midfielder capable of playing as part of a box-to-box duo. With the departures of Keita, Michel, and Romeu in addition to  Fuego's transfer looking more likely, the midfield now needs at least two reinforcements. Nuno wants at least 5 midfielders and if Fuego leaves we would have only three in Banega, Parejo and Gomes.

In addition to Perez, Valencia CF seem to be keeping an eye on 21 year old Argentinean Bruno Zuculini, who recently transferred from Racing to Manchester City. He is a close friend of Rodrigo de Paul (they both played for Racing) and Nuno wants him to reinforce the midfield as well. He needs to get playing minutes since their midfield is already packed with players. However, since Manchester City just signed him it, they will be reluctant to give up for anything other than a loan deal. Sevilla and Deportivo la Coruna are also interested. Valencia CF is hoping to use Roberto Fabian Ayala influence to convince him to join since he rates him very highly. He also has an Italian passport meaning he won't affect our foreign player limit.

The other name on the agenda is 28 year old Swiss international and Napoli midfielder Blerim Dzemaili. If you watched the World Cup, you probably remember him for that last minute miss against Argentina. That wasn't a reason to exclude him from potential targets as he is known to be able to drive forward well with the ball, an essential component to Nuno's counterattacking strategy.

As for Gargano and Cambiasso, it appears only Cambiasso is still considered a target.

Any thoughts? Who would you like to see at Valencia CF, Zuculini? Dzemaili? Or maybe someone else?

Sale could take till September?

Some of you have asked why it is taking so long for the sale to go through. After all, the process of finding an owner started in December 2013. It took six months to finally announce Lim as the bid winner. And here we are, almost 2 months later with the sale incomplete. First they promised mid July, then at the end of July, then mid-August, and Salvo's last statement said things could go to September before being finalized (let's hope not). Here are the details.

There are two main issues, one with Bankia and another with three other banks (Porchinos/Porxinos case).

Bankia

Lim, Valencia CF and Bankia have been in talks ever since Lim was declared winner of the bid. The talks covered refinancing of the debt, methods of payment and the guarantees. The first two are agreed upon, but the last one is the issue. The last time I wrote about this I explained about Newcoval wanting money (86 million) from Valencia CF (click here to read it). Since Bankia owns 50% of Newcoval, Valencia CF wanted Bankia to insert a guarantee that they will not support any court or legal action by Newcoval. Normally, that would be straight forward, however, Bankia keep sending statement that dance around the issue, they simply summarize what is going on but are providing no guarantees for one reason or another. This was really frustrating for Lim and Valencia CF who don't know why Bankia is delaying the sale. All of that is paired with long delays by Bankia in exchanging information as well as sending documents in Castillan (Spanish spoken in northern and central Spain) to Lim. The obvious problem is that Castillan is not familiar to Lim or Singapore in general. It is a common practice to make all international agreements in English. That is the standard, yet Bankia despite being aware of this, don't seem to care. The final thing would be the time difference between Spain and Singapore which frustrated Lim and cause him to send some of his legal team to Spain. There is a deadline of August 15 for negotiations on this, and Valencia CF need to work on those guarantees before then. Previously, Salvo accused Bankia of trying to "torpedo the process". In his most recent statement Salvo called the situation "intolerable" and "unethical" and demanded respect from Bankia.

Porchinos/Porxinos Case

This is another case of the actions of former management coming back to haunt Valencia CF. Sometime during the time of Juan Soler (2004-2008), an agricultural land was bought - Porchinos/Porxinos - in the hope that it could be urbanized into a new sporting facility (i.e relocated Paterna complex there) as well as some 2400 houses - the project was called PAI. It appears that Valencia CF had an agreement with three banks - Caixabank, BBVA, and Ceiss - to finance the operation. The deal was around 60 million euros. However, construction was cancelled after it was over-ruled by the Supreme Court which sited environmental concerns. They are now holding the land and demanding 100 million euros in compensation. Salvo has been trying to reason with them in saying that when Lim takes over there is a chance to continue the project. I guess the banks aren't buying it till now despite Salvo saying that their meeting accomplished a lot. Any agreement to continue the project still has to be subjected to Court approval which takes time.

Optimism

Despite all this, there is some optimism in Valencia CF. The signings of Rodrigo and Andre Gomes has convinced people without doubt that the end is near. After all, September is a possibility not for certain. You might ask where did all these problems come from? Previous management, and people getting greedy. Why now? I think that some of these people saw that big money is coming into the club, so they're trying to make the most of every mistake ever made to make money.

Any thoughts?

P.S. I couldn't find any clear articles in English, all of the sources were Spanish and even with online translation it was difficult to understand all the jargon and terms. I hope this clarified the situation enough.

Official: Rodrigo signed for Valencia CF!!

Here it is! The signing we've been waiting for is completed and Rodrigo has been presented. The 23 year old Spanish striker from Benfica becomes the fourth signing this summer transfer window following: Rodrigo de Paul, Dani Ramirez, and Andre Gomes.

This deal is similar to the type of deal which brought Andre Gomes to Valencia CF. It is a one-year loan that will be made into a full deal when Lim's takeover is complete (which could be extended as far as September, according President Salvo). Rodrigo is a great versatile forward that brings a lot of energy into any side and will do the same to Valencia CF. I'm so anxious to see how his partnership with Alcacer at the tip of the 4-4-2 will work.

Next up should be Enzo Perez according to reports, the third player from Benfica (I wonder how they'll deal with all these losses).

Any thoughts on Rodrigo? His partnership with Alcacer? Do you think this is enough for attack or would you prefer someone like Jackson Martinez or Chicarito join?

Jeremy Mathieu transfers to Barcelona FC

Barcelona FC have sealed the deal with Valencia CF over the transfer of Jeremy Mathieu, who will be joining Barcelona FC for a reported fee of 20 million euros, which is an extremely great price if I may say so myself. I've had him rated at about 10 million euros, last season I thought he was too error prone and quite inconsistent, so the fact that Barcelona payed out his 20 million euros buyout clause is really surprising.

I mean I knew they were going to do it, they really pushed for the transfer and when the player demanded it personally it was going to happen, but I think its a great deal for Valencia CF. We get rid of an aging, error prone defender and get 20 million euros in the bank with which we can strengthen our squad.

Peter Lim had promised at least 50 million euros on transfers, we got 10 million for Juan Bernat and now 20 million for Jeremy Mathieu, so that is 30 million in the bank account. Imagine if Valencia CF spends 30 million on top of 50 million euros, with 80 million euros we really bring big names to the club.

Again, Jeremy Mathieu transferring to Barcelona for 20 million euros is very positive for the club, Valencia CF can now bring a high level quality defender now and not even have to go cheap, we can spend 15 million if needed and get a high level player.

Getafe want Javi Fuego

After Getafe have taken Michel on loan for two-years, they now look to bring in Javi Fuego on loan with a purchase option. With Nuno switching the formation to a 4-4-2 with two box-to-box midfielders, Javi Fuego is reduced to a spot on the bench. In fact Nuno only keeps him just so that the option of a defensive midfielder is available to him. After Rodrigo's signing is completed, Enzo Perez is rumoured to be next, which will give Javi Fuego a tougher time to get some minutes. Should Javi Fuego decide to go to Getafe, Valencia CF could look to bring in yet another midfielder yet one that has similar characteristics to Seydou Keita.

A loan might not be that bad. In the rare occasion that Nuno wants to play a CDM, I guess he could try Ruiz there, it was his most promising position in recent times. To be honest, Javi Fuego hasn't really impressed me during his time at Valencia CF. Sure he had a couple of solid performances but he screwed up a lot. In terms of the replacement of similar profile to Keita, one of Walter Gargano and Cambiasso were rumored to be the ones scouted by the club a month or so ago. I don't know if that has changed yet.

What do you think of Javi Fuego? His loan? Good or bad idea? Any replacements in mind?

Michel Herrero transfers to Getafe

Michel Herrero hasn't had a good time at Valencia CF, ever since he was promoted from the youth team he hasn't experienced good times at Valencia CF, so he spent 2 years loaned out and then sold to Levante where he finally impressed the club with his performances and the club activated his buy-back clause. But it wasn't to be, as the first coach Djukic and later Pizzi barely used him and he was relegated seating on the bench or not even selected for the squad.

Time has now come for Michel to basically move on, so he joins Getafe on a 2 year loan deal, by the end of it he would become a free agent as his contract with Valencia CF expires in July 2016.

After the arrival of Gomes from Benfica he has been deemed surplus to requirements and new coach Nuno hasn't been too impressed him, but there also needs to be space created for at least 3 more new players arriving at Valencia CF.

Jeremy Mathieu is also on the exit door, he will likely be leaving for Barcelona as they look ready to pay out his 20 million release clause. Ricardo Costa has also rescinded his contract with Valencia CF, so he is a free agent, and this means Valencia CF are going to be looking for a new central defender, as the club is left with only 3 right now in Victor Ruiz, Nicolas Otamendi and Ruben Vezo.

Valencia CF could pursue Antunes

After the unexpected departure of Bernat to Bayern Munich, there has been a complication in the left-back position. Even with three players, Gaya, Cissokho and Guardado who are able to play that position, there is an issue with each.

Cissokho does not have the trust of the new coach and is highly likely to be on his way out. The only difficulty is who will take him. Guardado would be playing a position that is not his natural position and that has been limiting his performances. If you watched Mexico at the World Cup, you could see that he has much more potential further up the pitch on the left flank. Gaya seems the ideal candidate to take the spot, however, the management fears it would be too much pressure on him to take on that role alone especially since he is still in the early development stages of his career and just broke into the first team. The expectations on him could be to much to shoulder alone. As such, Valencia CF is looking for a reinforcement for the left-back position this transfer window.

The name that is the most likely right now is 27 year old Portuguese and Malaga left-back, Vitorino Pacheco Antunes. He spent four years at Roma earlier in his career but was loaned out for the entire time (he didn't get any playing time for Roma) to four separate clubs. He then spent a year playing in Greece, after which he joined Malaga on loan and later sold to Malaga for 1.25 million euros (he would probably come cheap). He was part of the Malaga squad that reached the quarter final of the 2012-2013 edition of the Champions league.

Valencia CF has been monitoring him and has reportedly notified the player of their interest. The player shares the interest in Valencia CF and seems really excited to join the team as part of this new project. However, he knows the situation at left-back and knows he has 2 maybe 3 competitors. As such, he would agree to join if room is made for him.

What do you think of Antunes? Good or bad idea? Any other suggestions?

Valencia CF and Barcelona agree Mathieu deal

Well, this game of cat and mouse was bound to come to an end and so it does. Valencia CF gave Mathieu and ultimatum which gave Barcelona has till Tuesday to cough up the 20 million euros (his release clause) and if it doesn't then he will start training as normal, no more sitting and waiting. This has reportedly worked as Barcelona have raised the 16 million euros offer to 20 million euros. In fact the signing is set to be announced tomorrow with Mathieu to be presented on the same day.

With that Valencia CF get their money and their terms in this deal, and Barcelona get their center back as requested by their new coach Luis Enrique. Mathieu also just got his dream transfer to cap off his career. Just got to say Bravo to President Salvo for fighting till the very end. That's the type of commitment I wanted to see.

 Mathieu has had a good time in Valencia CF. Under Emery, he was part of a great combination on the left flank with Jordi Alba, where the two would play there seamlessly and interchangeably. Now the two find themselves on the same team again. It was only recently that Mathieu was used a center back, (I think it was under Valverde that tried it first). He has had solid performances this year and took over the captain's role from Costa. With this, we also lose our third center back following Costa and Rami. With Ruiz probably on the way out too, we need major work on defense.

Any thoughts on Mathieu? His transfer? Good move or bad move? Any good memories you have of his time at Valencia CF? Any ideas for replacements to our defense?

Rodrigo passes medical

Rodrigo has passed his medical for Valencia CF today. He arrived yesterday and spent the evening in Valencia. Now his father is negotiating the terms of the deal with all that is missing is the player's signature. The deal should be announced soon.

Official: Ricardo Costa contract terminated

Ricardo Costa is  the 2nd player  out of Valencia CF this transfer window with the club terminating his contract today. The 33 year old Portuguese defender joined in 2010 from Wolfsburg and has earned the respect of his team and coach and became captain of Valencia CF. His contract was due to expire in June 2015 but he didn't fit into Nuno's plans, and so his contract was terminated. Costa took this in good sporting manner and thanked the club for giving him so many good moments. Despite his declining form, he did give a lot to the team during his four years, great headers and even some solid performances. There was certainly no lack of effort on his part, I guess age had its toll on him. His commitment to his team was evident, and he had a good time in defense at the World Cup. The picture on the left sum's it up. Head held high and proud to be a Valencianista.

All the best to the captain! And a big thank you! Amunt!

Any thoughts on Ricardo Costa? His departure? Any good memories you have of his time in Valencia CF?

Michel out, Tiago Mendes in?

As I said in the previous post, this is the decisive week for squad selection by new coach Nuno. He specified that he wants 5 different central midfielders. So far that is: Javi Fuego, Michel, Parejo, Banega and Andre Gomes.

Michel could be one of those on their way out, especially now with Getafe interested in taking him on loan. This would be the third loan period for Michel in his two spells at Valencia CF. The previous two were to Deportivo (one year) and Hercules (one year), then he was sold to Levante, after which Valencia CF activated the buy-back option. However, Michel hasn't impressed either Djukic or Pizzi. He did get some playing time under Djukic at first but spent long periods on the bench after. He barely showed glimpsed of the form he had while playing for Levante. Although you could argue that the form of the other midfielders kept him out, especially with Seydou Keita and Romeu available this past season as well.

Now we come to the replacement. He is 33 year old Portuguese midfielder Tiago Mendes. His contract for Atletico expired this year and he was all set to move to Chelsea. However, licensing issues have got in the way of the signing and Tiago now has to wait for them to be resolved or renew with Atletico Madrid. His agent gave him a third option by offering him to Valencia CF. Atletico Madrid are offering more wages that Valencia CF (his wages are outrageously high, about 5 million euros per season). Valencia CF have offered less money but a guarantee a two-year contract. Tiago insists that he wants a two year contract (which the would have got under Chelsea) as well as wanting to work as part of the coaching staff when his contact is up. Tiago had 24 appearances for Diego Simeone's La Liga winning side.

Any thoughts on Tiago Mendes? Is he an upgrade or downgrade from Michel? Do you support loaning Michel? If not Tiago, who should replace him?

Decisive squad selection week

The 3-1 loss to Nurnberg yesterday brings an end to Valencia CF's Germany-based part of the preseason. In the two preseason friendlies we got a chance to see every Valencia CF player with the exception of those on the World Cup squads as well as Mathieu, who is hoping for a move to Barcelona. Some players met expectations, others impressed and a few disappointed. The final word though goes to coach Nuno, who will finalize his squad selection before traveling to Peru. The members of the squad that travels to South America will be the ones that Nuno has plans for, and will rely on this season. Everyone else, will be not be joining on the trip and will be told try their luck elsewhere.

This will also be a crucial week for Mathieu who's future will also be resolved this week. It simply has to be. He cannot stay on the bench like this for every preseason game. The coach needs to know if he can count on him or should a replacement be brought in. Apparently, Nuno has said that the issue will indeed be settled this week so we can look forward to that.

So who has impressed you in these two games? Who disappointed? What's your starting line-up in a 4-4-2 formation?

Preseason Coverage: Nurnberg 3-1 Valencia CF

The second preseason game ends in a 3-1 loss to Nurnberg, who were recently relegated from the Bundesliga first division. Valencia CF took the lead through Viera and then after six minutes, Nurnberg scored three times in 5 minutes to win the game. The key thing to note from that game is that all three goals were conceded from wing play. The Nurnberg wingers would drive a low cross into the box and the strikers smash it. Anyway, just a preseason friendly and the team has to move on. Andre Gomes did get some time but only for the final 20 minutes. Mathieu did not play at all.

Goals:

0-1 Jonathan Viera, 50'
1-0 Sylvestr, 56'
2-0 Colak, 60'
3-0 Colak, 61'

Next games for the team will be in South America in the Euro-American Cup (click here for preseason schedule).

Transfer Market:

The signing of Rodrigo is said to imminent now despite interest from both Atletico Madrid and AS Monaco who are both willing to pay around 32 million euros for him. He will reportedly arrive on Wednesday of this week.

Yet again, Mathieu has not participated in this game. Last time he justified it as him not wanting to get injured in the midst of a major move.

Any thoughts on this preseason game? The transfer market and Rodrigo?

Valencia CF interested in David Ospina

A while back Valencia CF was rumored to be interested in Jan Oblak of Benfica where Valencia CF were going to pay the 20 million euro release clause. An outrageous amount for a substitute goalkeeper. That deal was fortunately interrupted by an interest from Atletico Madrid in the player and they have indeed gone to sign him to replace the departed Courtois. Now, Valencia CF is interested in 25 year old OGC Nice and Colombia keeper David Ospina.

This deal is way more feasible than the one for Oblak. With a contract that is expiring next year, David Ospina would cost Valencia CF in the region of 4 million euros, a small fraction of Oblak's price. In addition, Ospina's quality was apparent in this year's World Cup and as such this price is a bargain. However, there is also interest from Premier League club Arsenal who look to replace Fabianski (sold to Swansea City). Arsenal can offer more playing time due to the fact that they are in more competitions, and just as importantly playing time in the Champions League. Arsenal have expressed interest in the player but haven't pushed through to force the signing yet. The player himself prefers either Arsenal or Juventus. So we aren't exactly in pole position.

With Jaume looking to break into the first team this season, this move may dash his hopes. This move would also force Guaita to look elsewhere for playing time since Alves is now number 1.

Any thoughts on David Ospina? The goalkeeping situation or any of our goalkeepers in general?

Nuno to give Postiga a chance

Nuno has called for all the World Cup players to join the preseason. One surprise call was also asking Postiga to join with reports saying that the new coach wants to see if there is room for Postiga in his plans for the squad next season. The rumors arrival of a new striker with the caliber of Jackson Martinez or Javier Hernandez made it seem like his departure was on its way, especially having been loaned to Lazio in the winter transfer window.

Postiga has shown some potential but in very few games but overall he has failed to reproduce a fraction of what he did for Real Zaragoza (which wasn't that impressive either). The only one I remember him standing out in, was the 2-3 loss to Barcelona at the Mestalla where he scored two consecutive goals at the brink of half-time to restore hope to Valencia CF after being down 0-3 in the first half. Other than that, he has been really slow, bad movement, dull and lack luster. It was painful watching him play. Even in this World Cup, he hasn't played well although to be fair he didn't get much time and Portugal was struggling as a whole. The only role I can see for him is a bench warmer since there are no lack of possible number '9's on the team with Alcacer, Araujo, Rodrigo and the long awaited Martinez possibly on the way. Even if Araujo was loaned, he simply wouldn't get playing time and would get overshadowed by all the other talent if he does. I think it's time for him to go, its been long overdue and I think Nuno will see the same.

Any thoughts on Postiga? Should we even consider keeping him? Does he even have a chance to succeed at Valencia CF?

Rodrigo to be a Valencia CF player next week

With the signing of Andre Gomes complete and presented today, the club looks to sign his Benfica teammate Rodrigo. Valencia CF is very optimistic in his signing and President Salvo said the deal should be done next week. There are two reasons why this is slightly more complicated and thus taking more time. First, there is another bid from Atletico Madrid of 32 million euros for Rodrigo. They are able to offer him the Champions League football that Valencia CF cannot. Valencia CF and Lim don't want to force the player to play for them against his wishes. There is optimism that he will choose Valencia though. Second, the deal with Rodrigo doesn't involve Benfica alone, it also involves Real Madrid since he is a former player there. They have the right to be involved in future transfers as such. However, this is a time issue more than anything, simple.

I also want to take this chance to clarify the nature of the deals for Andre Gomes as well as a future deal for Rodrigo. Where is the money from? Lim hasn't taken over yet so there is no way he can purchase the players for Valencia CF. Any such move, would be punished by UEFA. However, both players will be taken on loan from Benfica and when Lim takes over they will be offered a full deal. In the case of Andre Gomes, it will be a four year deal. We will know Rodrigo's next week.

Valencia CF look for defensive replacements

Valencia CF is planning a major reformation in defense this summer transfer window. With Mathieu strongly linked away from the club day after day, and Barcelona rumored to be willing to pay the full amount, it could now be a matter of time only. In addition both Victor Ruiz and Ricardo Costa are on the sales list of the club. Should those three be sold, then we will be left with new signing Otamendi and youngster Ruben Vezo. That's it. As such, the club is planning to reinvest the money from Mathieu into reinforcing the defense with two signings.

The one name suggested by Nuno was Marcelo dos Santos of Nuno's former club Rio Ave FC. He is a 24 (turning 25) year-old Brazilian right-sided center back (Mathieu is left-sided) who seems to have the trust of Nuno so much that he's willing to give him a chance at Valencia CF. While no price has been given yet, I think he would be available for very cheap considering Rio Ave FC is not that big and the player himself is willing to join.

I don't know who the other signing would be since there wasn't a second name given. However, I would like to give a chance to Tendillo of Mestalla B instead of someone from Rio Ave FC. If the coach has this much confidence in this guy, I hope he's worth it.

Any thoughts about Marcelo dos Santos or other defensive replacements?

Official: Andres Gomes is a Valencia CF player

Valencia CF has completed what is now the fourth signing this transfer window, following the arrivals of Otamendi, de Paul and Dani Ramirez. Andres Gomes is a 20 year old midfielder who plays for S.L.Benfica and is said to be one of the gems of the Portuguese league, a great prospect. The statement from the club did not provide info on the duration of the deal or the cost. The signing of Rodrigo Moreno will take slightly longer since it is a bit more complicated. Andres Gomes should be set to join the team in the training camp at Germany. He will land tomorrow to undergo the medical.

With this we see a sign of optimism that the club is indeed making progress with signings and it is a reassurance to the imminent arrival of Peter Lim. With this however, we see Banega's place in the team taken and he could very well be on his way out.

Any thoughts on the new signing?

Preseaon Coverage: SpVgg Bayreuth 1-5 Valencia CF

Valencia CF started the pre-season well with a 1-5 win against 4th division German team SpVgg Bayreuth. The game featured all the players currently on the squad with the exception of those that participated in the World Cup as well as Jeremy Mathieu. The team generally played well as evident by the scoreline except for the one goal conceded which was due to horrendous defending. But that's what pre-season is for to find your mistakes and fix them, and to work on new tactics as well as fitness. Better now than during the season.

Goals:

0-1 Jonathan Viera (21')
0-2 Jonathan Viera (28')
0-3 Piatti (32')
0-4 Javi Fuego (51')
0-5 Michel (55')
1-5 Ulbricht (83')

Before the game, the new kits were presented and they look nice but are still missing the sponsor. Here is the team picture:

Transfer Market:

Valencia CF is now confident enough in the sale of the club by the end of the month that management has decided to go ahead with Lim's transfer plans. That, and the fact that, they simply cannot wait anymore, the player can't miss out on valuable training time with the new coach and new teammates. As such the club is currently prioritizing the signing of Andres Gomes and Rodrigo Moreno from Benfica and the players have been reportedly told to be ready to leave at any time. The reports say that the deals are close to completion and we could see the two new players feature in Saturday's game against Nurnberg.

Mathieu's absence from this game has fueled speculation that he could be on his way out but Valencia CF are remaining firm on the 20 million euro release clause and demand the full amount in cash. It remains to be seen. Apparently, Spurs have also joined as suitors. Although I prefer he goes to Spurs than Barcelona (we shouldn't make the opposition stronger), Mathieu himself dreams of playing for Barcelona and it would be his final chance to do so. Plus, I don't know if he's willing to go to England.

Formation change:

Nuno has suggested that Valencia CF's formation will change from 4-2-3-1 to a 4-4-2 saying he prefers to play two forwards. In addition, he wants take out the role of the defensive midfielder and play two box-to-box midfielder to make the team more dynamic and unpredictable. The idea is to make those two midfielders Enzo Perez and Parejo. Also, while one striker would be a traditional '9', the other one would serve as a striker and a play-maker. It seems that role will be given to Rodrigo de Paul. This could be a very interesting change in formation that could see Valencia CF playing a more attractive and unique style of football.

Any comments about the pre-season, the transfer market or the formation change? Share your thoughts below.

Official: Fede loaned to Cordoba

Fede Cartabia has been loaned to newly-promoted La Liga club Cordoba. The Argentine youngster broke into the Valencia CF first team under Djukic but has failed to impress new coach Nuno. Therefore, the club now seeks to loan him out for more experience at a club where he can get playing time. After all, we have Guardado, Viera, Carles Gil, Piatti and Rodrigo de Paul all who can play that postition so there won't be much time for the youngster to develop.

The loan is a one year deal till June 30, 2015 with a purchase option of 8 million euros. It's quite ridiculous to include a purchase option for a club talent. However, I don't think Cordoba can afford that amount considering they have been in second division for a while.

About the other player who is on his way out, Rami. With the price difference between the two clubs settled by Rami who was willing to pay the rest of the amount, Valencia CF now want the amount in one installment while Milan want three installments. This frustrated Rami since he feels the club has no place for him but it harder for him to leave. Meanwhile, while this is settled he is to train by himself.

Any thoughts on loaning Fede? What about the purchase option? What to do with Rami?

Rami to help fund his own sale

The output operation began last week in an unexpected fashion when Juan Bernat surprised everybody by moving to Bayern Munich. Now, Adil Rami is the next player out in this operation. Adil Rami's release clause is 10 million euros and no one was willing to meet that. That, and the fact that he made insulting comments to the coaching staff and his team mates, made the club seek a way out for him. He was loaned to AC Milan the last six months with a purchase option of 7 million euros. However, AC Milan were unable to meet that amount and decided against the purchase option. Their interest in Rami did not die however, and they immediately went the negotiation table trying to get lower the amount to around 3.75 million. Valencia CF accepted lowering the amount, however the limit was 4.25 million. With neither side backing down and with Rami desperate to move away, he has now decided to fund the rest of the move out of his own pocket. The deal should be announced anytime soon since the only thing missing is Rami's signature. He will not join Valencia CF's squad in the pre-season but will head to Italy to join Milan's pre-season.

Valencia CF Pre-season Schedule

Here we are. The pre-season fixtures are on the way in less than a week. The squad is in Germany to begin their training camp and play some friendlies against SpVgg Bayreuth (who play in the fourth division of the German League), and FC Nurnberg (who were relegated this year to the second division of the German League). Then the squad will travel to South America to compete in the first pre-season cup competition known as the Euro-American Cup 2014. There they will face locals Alianza in Peru and Universidad Catolica in Chile. Finally the club will travel to England to play in the 2014 Emirates Cup hosted by Arsenal. There the squad will play against AS Monaco FC and then against S.L.Benfica. Then, they will travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. To finish off the preseason, Valencia CF will play the Orange Trophy Challenge against AC Milan at the Mestalla. You can see the dates in the schedule below.



Schedule:

15 July 2014 - SpVgg Bayreuth
19 July 2014 - FC Nurnberg
26 July 2014 - Alianza
29 July 2014 - Universidad Catolica
2 August 2014 - AS Monaco FC
3 August 2014 - S.L.Benfica
12 August 2014 - Manchester United FC
17 August 2014 - A.C. Milan

This pre-season should give us a glimpse of what to expect of Nuno and the squad this season. The final three games especially should give us an idea of where we stand. We could also see Valencia CF use Benfica's own players against them when Lim's purchase of the club is complete. Training is going very well so far and the squad is being introduced to Nuno's style of play. In addition, I said earlier that this could be a chance for the new coach to re-evaluate some of the players who Pizzi deemed unnecessary. For example, it seems so far that Banega is doing well (maybe that loan to Newell's gave him motivation) and could very well remain with Valencia CF for this season despite being rumored out of the club but we'll have to wait and see. On another note, remember last year's pre-season which was also in Germany. Djukic struggled against fourth division teams only to manage good performances against AC Milan (despite losing 2-1), Inter Milan (beating them 4-0), Everton (beating them 1-0) and Olympiacos (beating them 2-1). Despite finishing the pre-season on a strong note, Djukic's season was a disaster to say the least. I am really optimistic now about Nuno. I hope he does great.

Diego Alves renews till 2019

The goalkeeping role has been up for grabs under recent years at Valencia CF, with both Guaita and Diego Alves fighting it out for the spot. Each had their spell under the reign of different coaches but in the end Diego Alves earned the spot after being one of Valencia's best performers this season. The deal sees Alves remaining at the Mestalla for 5 years till 2019 plus a wage increase.

What happens of Guaita now? Well that depends. An interest in Jan Oblak of Benfica and willingness to pay his 20 million euros buy-out clause (dependent on Lim buying the club) would have Guaita certainly looking for a way out. However, Atletico Madrid took advantage in the delay of the sale (which could now go all the way to the end of July) to beat Valencia and sign Oblak to replace Chelsea-bound Courtois. Guaita is still no short of suitors however, with Sevilla (to compete with Beto) and Real Sociedad (to replace Bravo) both reportedly interested. Watching Jaume from the Mestalla B team, he looks ready to replace Guaita should he decide to leave.

Official: Juan Bernat sold to Bayern Munich

Well, that's what happens when you leave contracts till the last minute. There goes another Valencia CF star in the year that we hoped we thought we wouldn't sell our best players as has been the case previously. Since it was the last year before his contract expired in 2015, and with the sale of the club being delaying every week, Bernat sought to play elsewhere. Bayern Munich have signed our left-back for about 11 million euros plus variables, slightly more than half of his 20 million euro release clause to avoid giving him away for free next year. The deal sees him stay for 5 years at Bayern Munich.

Now, there is no shortage of left-backs at the club with Guardado, Cissokho and Gaya all available. However, Bernat was our first choice and performed quite well. It's sad to see him leave. At least he didn't leave to a rival club in the La Liga. With Guardado and Cissokho rumored to be out of the club during the summer transfer window, one of them will have to stay with Gaya as the back-up or we sign a new left back.

Anyways, good luck to the player in this new challenge in Bayern Munich and I hope he can succeed and excel there.

What do you think of Bernat leaving? Who should replace him? Guardado, Cissokho, Gaya, or perhaps someone new?

Goodbye Juan Antonio Pizzi

It's official. Valencia CF has sacked Juan Antonio Pizzi along with his coaching staff effective today. He will be replaced by Nuno Espirito Santo of Rio Ave FC in the Portuguese League. This has been rumored for quite some time now and here it is actually happening. Apparently, Pizzi doesn't have the trust of soon-to-be owner Peter Lim after finishing 8th in the league. This is slightly harsh considering Pizzi had to pick up from the ruins left behind by Miroslav Djukic and did quite well with what he had. Pizzi's contract was until June 30, 2015 but will be terminated with the club paying off the rest of his term in office. The club statement said this sacking was for the benefit of "stability" of the future sports project. To me, it seemed like it was doing the opposite.

Anyway, the new coaching staff will be there to start training the club on Monday at the training camp in Germany. This should also mean the arrival of 19-year old Brazilian midfielder Filipe Augusto to the Mestalla B team. The training camp should include all three signings Otamendi (may arrive later), Rodrigo de Paul and Dani Ramirez. With the latter of the three to be judged along with other Mestalla B players Ibanez and Tendillo among others, to see if they are worthy of first-team football. I don't yet if Filipe Augusto will also be part of that. From what I read, the new coach Santo likes to use a core of experienced players with a lot of young players in his line-up. We'll see if that is repeated here in Valencia CF.

This sacking also points to the near completion of the deal between Valencia CF and Peter Lim. Making such a move without knowing for certain if the sale will go through is risky and quite blatantly stupid. The only thing left in the contract was adding the clauses that insured that Peter Lim would not have to deal with Newcoval's claims of about 90 million euros. Since Bankia owns half of Newcoval, if Bankia agrees to that clause, Newcoval's claims are invalid; and indeed Bankia has submitted those guarantees. All that's left now is the OK for Peter Lim which should happen in the next 24-48 hours. With this move, Rodrigo Moreno and Andre Gomes of Benfica both become official Valencia CF players and should arrive at the training camp as well. The signings of Martinez and Perez  (if complete) should be announced soon after Lim's takeover is made official.

As for sponsors and kits, it appears that Jinko Solar will not be continuing as the shirt sponsor and the club is looking for replacements. If you check the official website, under sponsors Adidas is there but Jinko Solar isn't. Coca Cola is also listed under sponsors but I don't know if there is a shirt deal with them. There are also talks of Catalan Bank CaixaBank being the sponsor but it is still very uncertain.

I don't know how the new coach will turn out, but all we can do now is hope he is the best choice for Valencia CF and he can achieve the club's goals.

What do you think of the sacking of Pizzi? Fair or unfair? Any opinion on new coach Nuno Espirito Santo?

Dani Ramirez deal agreed

A while back, we reported that Valencia CF was interested in Barcelona B player Javi Espinosa on a free transfer, however the interest did not materialize into anything. Now Valencia CF turn their attention to a Real Madrid C midfielder, 22 year old Dani Ramirez also on a free transfer. With the team recently relegated, Dani Ramirez was not renewed and his contract expires this summer.

With the sale of the club still not finished, Rufete has lost patience and wants to start offloading players like Viera, Banega, Postiga, and Rami among others. The issue is that the interested clubs do not know who to negotiate with if they want to make a bid, Peter Lim, Rufete or the President. As such, Rufete has decided to sign Dani Ramirez and after agreeing a deal with him, he is expected to sign this week. As you may know, the preseason starts next week on Monday, and so far nothing major has been done barring the signings of Otamendi and Rodrigo de Paul. There are still many players to offload as well. Should Ramirez sign this week, he will be able to join the preseason with the team.

There are other signings planned by Rufete. One of them is a replacement for Keita. The players being looked at for that position are Inter Milan's 33 year old Cambiasso, who would come on a free transfer and Napoli's 28 year old Walter Gargano who has one year left on his contract. Finally, Valencia CF is raising their interest in Thorgan Hazard and is reportedly leading other interested teams for his signing.

What do you think of the prospective signings? Who should replace Keita, should it be Cambiasso or Gargano? Tell us in the comments below.

Update on the sale

I saw that someone posted a comment requesting further detail on the sale process of Valencia CF, so here it is.

Well, there has been many obstacles to the sale recently. Almost to the point where Lim's advisers were trying to talk him out of it! Peter Lim has been surprised at the unwelcoming attitude he received. You'd expect that when someone wants to invest so much into the club including over 300 million euros (Lim's net worth is about 1.8 million euros) just to settle debts and build a new stadium, he'd be welcomed with open arms but that hasn't been the case.

Here are the four major issues with the sale that Lim had:

1. This one I mentioned in the last update about the post. There was a clause in the contract stating that should Lim abandon the club within 5 years, he would have to pay a 330 million euro penalty. This outraged Lim who made an angry phone call to Salvo to have it immediately removed; and it was removed as requested. So this one is solved.

2. The other case was another clause stating that should Lim violate any of the Valencia Foundation's 20 points in the contract, he would be fined 200 million euros.

3. The Spanish media is apparently publishing various articles discrediting Peter Lim and basically telling people that this whole thing is a scam and not to trust him. A few articles is not that big a deal but there is so many that Lim is getting pissed off.

4. The last one was a legal issue. Newcoval, a business that Valencia CF struck a deal with during the time of Manuel Llorente, are claiming about 90 million euros in a supposed breach of intellectual property. This business apparently created a plan for Valencia CF to reduce their debts in half through selling the sporting facility and the Mestalla. Lim fears that should he take over the club he will spend time in courts battles and be riddled with legal problems and fines. Therefore, he become really discouraged. Salvo, Bankia (who was also part of the deal), and even former President Llorente all discredited the claims by Newcoval. Valencia CF seem to have a pretty strong case against Newcoval's claims with a clause in the contract stating that payment is due only if the work is actually carried out, and it obviously wasn't. The club also insist that should there by any payment due (even if the claims by Newcoval were true), they would only be entitled to 900,000 euros, no where near the ridiculous claim of 90 million euros. Valencia CF have also reportedly threatened to sue Newcoval.

You can see why Lim would be upset. For Points 1, 2 and 3, it shows extreme distrust on the part of the club and the city for someone who being very generous and eager to work with the club. And for Point 4, well no one wants to be spending time in court.

Salvo personally traveled to Singapore to convince Lim that the clauses will be removed, that Newcoval's claims are rubbish, and that he is indeed very welcome by everyone at the club mostly the fans. As proof Lim was shown the new trending topic on Twitter #LimTeQuermos among many other in which fans have decided to show appreciation and gratitude for the soon-to-be owner and hopefully salvage the operation. This seems to have worked as Lim has supposedly told Salvo that he will go through with the sale if these four issues are addressed with guarantees from the club and Bankia. So the sale seems to have been rescued by sleepless hardworking Salvo and the loving fans of Valencia CF. The contract should be finalized in the next 24-48 hours and it will hopefully be signed this Sunday or Monday.

I hope that's enough information. That's about all I could get from all the reliable translated Spanish sources. Any other requests for articles, please let us know below. Also, please share your thoughts on this whole predicament and any other problems about this sales process. Amunt!

Juan Bernat contract issues

With Lim's arrival facing some obstacles, a lot of operation have been put on hold. One of them is renewing contracts.  Bernat among others were sat down for contract talks but everyone gives the same answer, wait till after the sale. Everyone wants to know what their place is in the new squad. There are players like Viera who want to play in Valencia CF but the club is ready to pay off his contract as he is deemed excess to the current squad. There are other players like Perez, Martinez, Rodrigo Morena, Andre Gomes and Jan Oblak all wanting to know if they will end up playing at Valencia CF or not.

However, with Bernat's contract stalling due to the sale process (the management doesn't know how much finances Lim will allocate to renewing contracts) and especially since he has one year left, other clubs see this as an opportunity. Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United and City all want someone with the quality and potential of Juan Bernat. Valencia CF continues to refer them to the 20 million euro buyout clause. Valencia CF worries that a Jordi Alba situation (Alba left for 14 million euros when his clause was 20 million euros) will occur and the player will refuse to renew to pressure the club to reduce the price and sell to avoid losing him for free.

As a product of the Valencia CF youth team and a quality player with lots of potential who excelled and caught attention in recent years, I'm sure everyone would hate to lose Bernat. Although there are replacements aplenty in Guardado, Cissokho and Gaya, they just aren't suitable. Guardado has been a liability playing as left back (although he shows promise in the World Cup as a left winger), Cissokho is good at his best but really inconsistent and Gaya is inexperienced. With Guardado and Cissokho probably leaving this transfer window, the next option would be to buy a new one. I just hope Bernat keeps his patience till the sale is done and not given to the temptations of the other clubs like Kouyate recently did (joined West Ham cause the sale was stalling).

Barcelona make new offer for Mathieu

Barcelona insist on clinching the signing of Mathieu and will not take no for an answer. Over the past few weeks there have been several meeting with the presidents of the two clubs and despite getting "no" as an answer every time, Barcelona won't take the hint. At the beginning Valencia referred any interested club including Bayern, to the players 20 million euro release clause. However, fearing that the clubs were willing to pay this amount as well as to make a clear statement of intent, the club will force teams to pay 36 million euros through taxes by getting the player to deliver the amount himself.

Valencia CF is looking to build a new team using the Lim investment to be able to compete with any other team. However, the team has roots that need to stay to preserve the club's identity. One of those is Jeremy Mathieu who is seen by the club and the fans as an "untouchable", a leader in the dressing room and on the field. This qualities along with his speed and strength in defense are what attracts Barcelona's new manager Luis Enrique to Mathieu. As such he has requested the club to seal his transfer no matter what.

The latest deal reportedly proposed by Barcelona recently in order to tempt Valencia CF was to offer 10-12 million euros plus youngster Cristian Tello (one of Valencia's transfer targets). The reports have claimed that Valencia CF have stayed silent to this proposal.

Personally, I think that Tello would add a lot of quality and energy to Valencia CF. However, I don't see where he would fit in considering the amount of wingers we already have even after we sell some of them. Plus, it would raise the issue of who the replacement center back would be, which means further spending.

So what do you think, Mathieu for Tello and 10-12 million, deal or no deal?

Jan Oblak to replace Guaita

Valencia CF have set their sights on 21 year old Slovenian and Benfica keeper Jan Oblak. Valencia CF face competition from many other clubs particularly Real Madrid, should one of their keepers leave, and Atletico Madrid, who look to find a replacement due to the imminent departure of Courtois to Chelsea. Latest reports today suggest that Valencia CF is willing to activate his 20 million euro release clause in hopes to beat the other teams to his signature.

The long debate on who should be goalkeeper of Valencia CF was put to bed this year with Diego Alves the stand-out favorite in the club. In search of more playing time, Guaita is expected to leave. Jan Oblak is rumored to become one of the best in the business judging by his performances for Benfica and would be a good understudy to Diego Alves.

As a final note, this signing was recommended by none other than rumored incoming manager Nuno Espirito Santo who regards Oblak highly. If this signing goes through, it would make the arrival of the Santo, and as a result the departure of Pizzi, just about certain.