Who is Jesus Vazquez? Valencia's answer to Gareth Bale

Stuart Telford

Updated: 7 Oct 2022 20:03 BST
4 min read

Jesus Vazquez in action for Valencia. — © ProShots

Jesus Vazquez is already a regular member of the Valencia first team at the tender age of 19, but what else is there to know about the young left-back earning early comparisons with Gareth Bale?

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Vazquez was born in Merida when his father Braulio, a former striker, played for the club in January 2000. When the senior Vazquez was later made sporting director at Valencia, Jesus joined their youth academy at the age of five.

He soon raced through the age group teams almost as quickly as he glides forward from left-back, and as handed his first-team debut against Terrassa in the Copa Del Rey in December 2020 a month before his 18th birthday.

Now a Spain under-19 international with 16 youth international caps to his name, Vazquez has Spain's senior left-back Jose Gaya looking over his shoulder at club level, and Premier League clubs from Manchester United to Nottingham Forest are making trips to the Mestalla to watch him.

📺 Jesús Vázquez: "This is a big thing for me, something that I've always dreamt of" 🤩#JesúsVázquez2025 #JuntsAnemAMUNT
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) June 1, 2021

What position does Vazquez play in?

Vazquez is a left-back who, like a young Bale, was just as happy playing further up the pitch and a left-midfielder or even a winger. He also stands at 6' - tall for a full-back - and shares the Welsh great's haircut.

He may not quite match Bale's explosive pace, but he still has the ability to glide past opponents, and is likely to play in a more advanced role as his career progresses rather than be converted to a centre-back, as his height alone might suggest.

How good is Vazquez?

Valencia have more than one left-back who has been recognised at byouth international level by Spain, but Vazquez has pulled in front of Toni Lato as Gaya's first understudy, and can expect to get the job full-time if the 27-year-old leaves the club before he does - if not before.

New Valencia coach Gennaro Gattuso clearly fancies Vazquez, and has given him La Liga starts against Girona and Atheltic Bilbao already this season.

What clubs are interested in Vazquez?

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur - the latter of whom Bale played for - sent scouts to watch Vazquez in Spain under-19 action in March, with Man Utd and Liverpool also in attendance as La Rojita took on Austria and Denmark.

More recently, Notts Forest - another former Bale club - lodged a €5m bid, but the youngster is already rated at €11m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm and their advances were rebuffed.