08 December 2023 , 13:21
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Valencia are holding out for £34m for midfield talent Javi Guerra amid interest from Manchester United and Juventus, it has been claimed.
Guerra made his debut for Los Che in 2022 at the age of 18 but has grown into a key member of the squad this term. The 20-year-old has made 17 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring three times - including a late winner against Sevilla back in August.
In September, it emerged that scouts from United had been watching every Valencia game to keep tabs on the rising star. At the time, Newcastle were also mentioned as potential suitors, and now it appears Juventus have entered the race.
According to Estadio Deportivo (via Football Espana), Juventus are ready to offer just over £21m for Guerra, who has six Spain under-21 caps. However, that falls some way short of Valencia's valuation.
Valencia are said to be in no hurry to sell the 20-year-old, who has an £86m release clause, and United's situation has changed since they first showed an interest. Most significantly, Scott McTominay, a man who might have left a gap in the squad had he pushed for a January move, is now very much part of Erik ten Hag's plans.
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Scotland international McTominay started just two of United's first 10 league and Champions League games this term after a summer move failed to materialise. Since coming off the bench to inspire a turnaround against Brentford, though, he has barely missed a minute.
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Javi Guerra has caught the eye with his Valencia performances (Ivan Terron/REX/Shutterstock)McTominay scored both of United's goals on Wednesday night as they recovered from a Bruno Fernandes penalty miss to squeak past Chelsea. The brace took him to six goals for the season, and he hailed Ten Hag for helping turn things around after Saturday's defeat at Newcastle.
“Obviously the manager, to be honest with you," he said when asked about the key to United's improved mentality. "The way that we’ve approached the game, a lot of light training sessions to keep energy, to keep fresh, and to keep going for the next game – because obviously they come really thick and fast. But for us, it’s a night that we should be happy with and one that we can build on.”
“We started really, really well in the game and obviously the fans are really happy with the way we started and reacted after a pretty abysmal display against Newcastle, to be honest. All the boys were so upset with how we coped with that game, it wasn’t anywhere near good enough, and to come here and win tonight was a plus and it’s something we can build on.”