City Transfer Target Evaluation — Part 2 (Left-Back)
Jose Gaya: Valencia C.F. (Spanish international)
Rating: 8.0/10
Likelihood: 2.8/5
Another player who has been scouted by Arsenal as a replacement for Kieran Gibbs/Monreal, Jose Gaya fits the bill as he already has plenty of senior games under his belt for Valencia in the La Liga. Funny enough, Gaya actually started his career as a striker before being converted to the full-back position. Thus, he definitely possesses the abilities going forward, which as we know is something that Pep desires in a full-back.
Much like Alba and Bernat, Gaya possesses the endurance and energy to run up and down the left flank all game long. This energy is crucial when he bombs forward and puts in dangerous crosses, but also helps him get back and cover his defensive duties too.
Here’s a good highlight video.
Rating Explanation:
I personally think Jose Gaya is still very much a raw talent at the young age of 21, but could definitely develop into a great full-back. Like Bernat, Mendy, and Sandro, Gaya has immense confidence when he is on the ball, acting almost like a second winger. Having an attacking threat on the overlap would be very intimidating and bring something extra on the attack, something of which we have not had in a while with Clichy and Kolarov.
Likelihood:
Gaya actually signed a new deal back in December, with the contract keeping him at Valencia until 2020, but as we all know that doesn’t totally rule him out. It definitely isn’t a good sign for this to occur, though.
Despite some of their star names, Valencia has largely struggled the last couple of years. In fact, currently they are 13th in the table. Would it be surprising for a young player with so much potential to go to a bigger club? Probably not.
Strengths:
- Tackling
- Dribbling
- Key passes and chance creation (crosses and take-ons)
- Confident on the ball
Weaknesses:
- Aerial ability
- Strength
NOTE: I removed Theo Hernandez from the list as he looks to be set on Real Madrid at the moment.