El 13 de septiembre, el Valencia despidió al director ejecutivo Ron Gourlay, dejando al director deportivo Braulio Vázquez con una plantilla que ha tenido dificultades, según informó el Diario AS.
Out of seven summer arrivals during Gourlay’s tenure, only loanee Pablo Maffeo has established himself as an undisputed starter in the league, according to Diario AS.
Maffeo has featured in 11 of Valencia’s 12 league matches, starting nine times. The Catalan has been the most utilized player by both Corberán and Aguirre, and he was the most established signing until the match against Real Madrid, where he committed the foul on Mbappé that resulted in the 0-1 scoreline followed by his post-match remark.
“Mierda,” Maffeo told DAZN when assessing a performance, drawing internal disapproval from club hierarchy.
Maffeo’s arrival followed stalled negotiations for Arnau Martínez and an unsuccessful pursuit of Thomas Meunier. Valencia ultimately secured Martínez from Girona on a contract running until 2031 for a reported fee near 5 million euros plus variables, Diario AS noted.
Despite his long-term deal, Martínez has largely remained on the bench while Maffeo occupies the primary role on the right flank under manager Aguirre.
Harvey Elliott, signed on loan from Liverpool, has managed just 152 minutes across six substitute appearances in the league. The English midfielder issued an apology to supporters after receiving a red card against Villarreal that contributed to a Valencia defeat.
“I want to apologise to the fans,” Elliott said following a subsequent cup fixture against Lliga Comunitat side Tavernes, where he scored from a free-kick, as reported by Quality Sport Images.
Dutch goalkeeper Nick Olij, frequently referred to as Van Oevelen in local reporting, arrived on loan after a proposed permanent transfer fell through in favor of Ipswich Town.
“Me importa dos narices lo que diga el Ipswich Town,” Aguirre told reporters regarding provisions in the goalkeeper’s loan agreement.
Meanwhile, Japanese prospect Ryonosuke Sato arrived for a reported fee of 4 million euros on a deal through 2031, yet the 20-year-old has not featured under Aguirre in league play. Fellow arrivals Justin de Haas and Aliou Dieng have seen limited action, with Dieng logging only five minutes under the current technical staff since September.
Van Oevelen is scheduled to continue playing in the Copa, having already played 90 minutes against Tavernes, while his status for January remains undecided.
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