In: Cenk Ozkacar (Olympique Lyon), Pepelu (Levante)
Loan returns:
Out: Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig), Nico Gonzalez (Barcelona), Samuel Lino (Atletico Madrid), Justin Kluivert (Roma), Iago Herrerin (libre), Toni Lato (free, Real Mallorca), Jorge Saenz (Leganes), Edinson Cavani (free, Boca Juniors), Yunus Musah (Milan), Koba Koindredi (Estoril), Uros Racic (Sassuolo)
Summary so far: Cenk’s loan deal was made permanent, in a decent if not great signing. There will be plenty of criticism for Meriton, but credit where it is due, the signing of Pepelu looks like a good one. At 24, Pepelu was one of the standout players for Levante in Segunda last season, and a reason they came so close to promotion. Lauded for his all-round game, he obviously has to convert those performances from Segunda to Primera, but looks an excellent addition.
Ilaix and Nico have been useful at times, but Pepelu’s arrival will probably help fans to forget about them. Lato’s exit sees one of the favourite sons of Paterna head off, but it was a move that everyone will give their blessing in light of Jose Luis Gaya’s continued domination of the left flank.
Loanees Lino and Kluivert will be missed though. Lino was one of the few Valencia players capable of making defenders think twice with the ball at his feet, while Kluivert’s tireless running in behind and persistence became a key part of their attack. Both ended with six goals, making them Valencia’s top scorers, and hinting where the next section is going.
Such is their plight, Valencia fans will be hoping Musah’s exit is the only major sale they need to make this summer. Given he had lost his place at the end of the season, he shouldn’t be missed dreadfully on the pitch, but he was one of their biggest talents.
Just because Cavani did not score the goals they expected, does not mean he doesn’t need replacing. The Uruguayan has joined Boca, but he was brought in as their leader last summer.
It does look as if Sergi Canos will join Valencia, finally, but by no means should Los Che stop there. Ruben Baraja did the job last season saving them from relegation, now he has the added frustration of his patience being tested over the last two months.
Key Need: Cavani missed a number of games last season, but also a stream of good chances. Converting just 5 times in La Liga, on paper he was the experience and the quality to guide this young squad forward, the reality last season was he was unable to demonstrate either.
It is the issue that Valencia must solve immediately, because surviving with your top scorer getting just seven goals is clearly doable once, but you wouldn’t like to try it again. Marcos Andre, Hugo Duro and youngster Diego Lopez are the alternatives currently, and neither of the pros showed much pedigree in the previous two seasons. Knowing Meriton, they are likely to take the more cost-effective solution, but there is no escaping that they do at least need a solution. Ruben Baraja looks like he will become the latest to be frustrated in his public and private requests for new players.
Beneath the Surface: In Cavani’s defence, the support acts were somewhat uninspiring for the most part too. Samu Castillejo can provide good service, but the 28-year-old is their only senior winger in the squad as things stand, and so this is a fairly essential need too if Baraja wants to supply Cavani or someone else. Ambitious, young, pacey wingers tend to be available on loan from big clubs, but they also tend to be erratic, and something of a gamble – hence why they are available. Fixing the supply chain to the frontline is a necessity. Valencia survived last season, but not by much, and they cannot afford to allow these issues to go unaddressed. Other areas of the pitch require quality, but can also be helped with organisation – when that final pass or finish needs to made, Valencia will need more quality.
