Man Utd & Newcastle target La Liga starlet with €100m release clause
Cameron Smith
- 25 Sept 2023 20:01 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United and Newcastle United have both sent scouts to watch Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra, according to reports in Spain.
Guerra, 20, joined the Spanish side from Villarreal’s youth team back in 2019, aged 16, and he made 10 appearances in La Liga last season.
All 10 came as a substitute, with Guerra notching his first senior goal in the last minute to secure a 2-1 win over Real Valladolid in April. The midfielder had only been brought on in the 89th minute, but scored a late winner in the third minute of stoppage time.
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This campaign, he has become a vital cog in Valencia’s team and has already notched three goals and one assist in his opening six league games.
That form has attracted interest from the Premier League, with Marca reporting that both Man Utd and Newcastle now have scouts at every Valencia game as they continue to track Guerra’s progress.
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Guerra to move to the Premier League?
The 20-year-old currently has a €100 million release clause at Valencia, with his contract running until 2027. But, Valencia are reportedly keen on improving his weekly wage as they bid to keep hold of one of their most promising young stars.
There was reportedly also interest in Guerra this summer, despite only making substitute appearances for Valencia at the time, but a move away never materialised.
Man Utd signed Mason Mount (€64.2m) and Sofyan Amrabat (loan) to bolster their midfield during the recent summer transfer window, while Eddie Howe’s Newcastle managed to add Sandro Tonali from AC Milan. The Magpies spent €64m to lure the Italian away from San Siro.
As for Valencia, their poor financial situation may mean that Guerra is an asset they look to offload.
The Spanish team have had a positive net spend in three of the past four seasons, with Yunus Musah, Goncalo Guedes, Carlos Soler, Ferran Torres, Rodrigo and Dani Parejo among those to depart during that time.
