Flores Wants Even More Faces At Mestalla

[BlackNess]

Valencia Welcome Hildebrand, Alexis And Arizmendi To Training




Los Che began their pre-season exercises today with their three new big-name signings each present and correct. David Albelda, however, was not available to train...


The Liga clubs are slowly drifting back into a training regime, and Valencia have become the latest team to do so as they braved the summer heat today.

All of last season's regulars - except for Roberto Ayala - remain at the club and all have returned to training, except for David Albelda. The defensive midfielder and club captain has been granted some extra days' leave due to his recent marriage.

But of the five permanent signings made so far this summer, the three main ones are all training normally.

Timo Hildebrand, the German international keeper, recently ended his one-club-man status as he left German champions Stuttgart in favour of the Mestalla. The 28 year old made over 200 league appearances for die Roten before his free transfer to Valencia.

Joining him is Alexis. The centre-back arrived from Getafe, with whom he enjoyed a successful one year spell after three years in La Liga with Malaga. The highly-rated defender is still only 21 years old and may well fill the gap vacated by the veteran Roberto Ayala.

Finally, Javier Arizmendi trained with the forwards. The striker, formerly of Atletico Madrid, played for Deportivo La Coruna next season and despite a meagre goal tally did enough to impress Los Che. He was rewarded with a six year contract.

The remaining two signings, Sunny and Mata, are both away on Spain U-20 duty.

[LAF]

3 great signings imo. I fancy Valencia being big challengers this season if they don't have the injury problems they had last season.

[Podolski]

Originally Posted by LAF

3 great signings imo. I fancy Valencia being big challengers this season if they don't have the injury problems they had last season.

Definately, Hildebrand is a good keepers, and Alexis is promising. Not sure about Arizmendi though.

[Pat Murphy]

Arizmendi had a good season at Depor last season and can play as a striker or more commonly on the right wing. He'll probably be a backup to Joaquin to start with.

A problem may be the inexperience of their 2 starting CB's as Raul Albiol and Alexis although they are fantastic are only 21.

[Pat Murphy]

Flores Wants Even More Faces At Mestalla

After just bringing in five new players, Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores maintains a couple more recruits are vitally needed to strengthen the squad.

Flores has already been busy in this summer with the purchases of Ivan Helguera, Alexis, Javier Arizmendi and Timo Hidebrand to the first-team squad, followed by the signings of two highly-rated youngsters in Sunny and Juan Manuel Mata.

Yet the Valencia coach firmly believes more spending is required,

“We have a base of quality, with many young internationals and now we lack two or three pieces which would allow us to be better balanced," he said.

The arrival of the new players has increased the competition for places at a club that has had little activity in the way of selling players during the transfer window.

Therefore the fight for a first-team place looks to be settled between two or three players in nearly every position, something which Sanchez Flores feels is the ideal situation,

"(The competition) is the best thing that could happen to us," said Sanchez Flores.

"Nobody, either in goal or in any other position, starts with the shirt (in their possession)."

This reference to the keeper’s jersey prelude’s an interesting issue, as Santiago Canizares position is now under serious threat for the first time in a decade by another established goalkeeper in the large frame of German Hildebrand.

However, so far, Flores has liked what he has seen during the build-up to the season opener, which will be next months Champions League qualifying round,

"I am happy because the players have come back well and ready to work. To have all the players together for the first time in three years is an advantage.

"This is going to help us prepare well for the Champions League qualifiers."

from Goal.com

Goal.com - Valencia - Flores Wants Even More Faces At Mestalla


Last season Quique spent quite a lot and didn't get the end of season finish they wanted. This season he's spent a bit more smartly so far, not really losing any money as he's got free transfers in and Alexis for £4m while he sold Tavano for £4m.

Lucho Gonzalez may be the name coming in for around £13m, but Kim Kallstrom, Luis Garcia, Nery Castillo have all been linked as a new signing.

[Oliver_Kahn]

Forget Lucho, Porto have made a bid to acquire half of Lucho's rights owned by MSI. Which would mean Porto will have 75% of Lucho's rights, so Valencia can bugger off and look somewhere else.

[Pat Murphy]

If Porto win that bid. If Valencia buy MSI's 50% then both Valencia and Porto will have 50% of Lucho and it is then up to the player to which club he wants to move, which we can both guess

The transfer rumour still isn't over yet so we'll see.