Valencia’s options to strengthen through the market seem limited, but Gennaro Gattuso might have found a viable option.
The narrative surrounding Los Che has been that they need to sell first in order to bring in players this summer. Yet none of their three key assets Goncalo Guedes, Carlos Soler or Jose Gaya appear close to an exit.
However new manager Gattuso might have set his sights on someone attainable: Rodrigo Riquelme. The 22-year-old, who plays out wide or behind the striker, spent the 2020-21 season on loan at Bournemouth from Atletico Madrid and struggled to make an impression in the Championship.
Last season he joined the Mirandes and in Segunda on loan onlookers began to see his talents blossom. Across 39 appearances, Riquelme scored 8 times and assisted 12 more goals.
Relevo reported that Valencia were in the running for his signature next season, as well as Rayo Vallecano, Real Mallorca and Real Valladolid, before Sport picked up the information.
In Valencia’s case, there must be a growing urgency to do business. Should those necessary sales come off, Los Che must be ready to pull the trigger on the deals to replenish the squad. Equally, there is a risk they lose out on more targets if they cannot sell soon.
