مدير عام كرة القدم
When it comes to unearthing talent, few academies in Spain can match برشلونة‘s La Masia. However, some of the most gifted players to have represented La Roja over the past couple of decades have actually emerged from Valencia, with the likes of David Silva, Juan Mata and Isco all having begun at the Mestalla before going onto become globally-recognised superstars at some of Europe’s most successful clubs.
And despite Valencia having fallen on harder times of late when compared to the teams of the early 2000s who regularly competed for domestic titles and went deep in the دوري أبطال أوروبا, there are still signs that they are capable of producing top talents. Centre-back duo Cristhian Mosquera and Yasek Gasiorowski have already flown the nest this summer, joining Arsenal and PSV, respectively, after catching the eye in La Liga, and they could yet be followed by 22-yeard-old Javi Guerra before the transfer window is closed.
The midfielder has been linked with مانشستر يونايتد و ميلان, amongst others, in recent weeks, and while Guerra’s profile is far from being well-known across Europe right now, he has all the ability to become a household name in the not-to-distant future.
أؤكد رغبتي في رؤية محتوى خارجي. قد تُنقل بيانات التعريف الشخصية إلى جهات خارجية. اقرأ المزيد حول هذا الموضوع في سياسة الخصوصية الخاصة بنا.
He is an ideal candidate, then, to join BALLGM’s list of Hidden Gems:
When it comes to unearthing talent, few academies in Spain can match Barcelona’s La Masia. However, some of the most gifted players to have represented La Roja over the past couple of decades have actually emerged from Valencia, with the likes of David Silva, Juan Mata and Isco all having begun at the Mestalla before going onto become globally-recognised superstars at some of Europe’s most successful clubs.
And despite Valencia having fallen on harder times of late when compared to the teams of the early 2000s who regularly competed for domestic titles and went deep in the Champions League, there are still signs that they are capable of producing top talents. Centre-back duo Cristhian Mosquera and Yasek Gasiorowski have already flown the nest this summer, joining Arsenal and PSV, respectively, after catching the eye in La Liga, and they could yet be followed by 22-yeard-old Javi Guerra before the transfer window is closed.
The midfielder has been linked with Manchester متحد and AC Milan, amongst others, in recent weeks, and while Guerra’s profile is far from being well-known across Europe right now, he has all the ability to become a household name in the not-to-distant future.
He is an ideal candidate, then, to join BALLGM’s list of Hidden Gems:
“I’ve been a trainer since I was 16, but he’s the only player I’ve ever thought, ‘if this kid doesn’t make it to professional football, then no one will’,” recalled Josep Bosch, a youth coach at UD Pucol who was one of the first to catch a glimpse of Guerra’s ability, when he was interviewed by Valencia’s official website in 2023.
Guerra, who grew up in the tiny village of Gilet as both a football and tennis enthusiast, joined Pucol at the age of five, though there is no official record of his time with the club for a reason that would come to highlight just what a precocious talent he was.
“I wasn’t registered because I was younger and played with older players,” Guerra told Club del Deportista before going on to describe his next steps in the game. “I had a classmate whose father was a coach at فياريال. One day he saw me playing and must have seen something in me, because he decided to take me to Villarreal for trials. I passed and started playing there.”
Guerra’s grandfather would drive him 50 miles, there and back, so he could train with the Yellow Submarine’s academy, albeit only after securing himself the correct documents.
“At first, he didn’t have a driver’s licence, so we had to take the train,” Guerra told MARCA. “I changed my clothes and swapped my school uniform for my training kit in the school bathrooms. Those are memories I cherish very much now. My grandfather wasn’t a football fan at all until I started playing. Since then, he’s been following it, especially to see me. The only downside is that now I have to listen to it all at home!”
Guerra eventually left Villarreal to join Valencia in 2019, whom he joined for a fee of almost €1 million despite being an 16-year-old with no first-team experience. Indeed, he would not make his senior bow for another four years, when he made his Valencia debut on April 16, 2023.
Eleven days later, Guerra announced himself to the watching world. With Valencia and Real Valladolid heading towards a 1-1 draw that would potentially doom both sides to relegation, Guerra was thrown on from the bench in the dying moments of the game. Within minutes, he showed a fine burst of speed, outwitted a Valladolid defender and fired the ball into the top corner with his ‘weaker’ left foot.
A previously unknown teenager was suddenly the toast of the Mestalla, as his strike proved crucial in Valencia’s eventual survival in the top-flight.
Guerra’s instant impact saw him rewarded with a place in the starting line up for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign, and he has barely fallen out of favour ever since. The midfielder now has 82 first-team appearances under his belt, with eight goals to his name in that time.
He has also become an ever-present for Spain’s Under-21s side, and caught the eye with his assured displays the team’s run to the quarter-finals of the U21 European بطولة earlier this summer, which in turn entrenched Guerra on the radar on clubs around the continent.
Guerra’s first senior goal is typical of the kind of player he is in that he loves to take on his man. Compared to all other players in his position in Europe’s top-five leagues, he is among the 15 percent of midfielders who recorded the most successful take-ons last season.
In terms of progressive carries, a statistic that tracks how often players drive the ball forward at least 10 yards, Guerra scores remarkably well, though he is still the prototypical box-to-box midfielder in that he is also active defensively. Guerra was one of only six midfielders under the age of 23 in Europe to have make more than 50 tackles as well as produce 50 take-ons in 2024-25.
Valencia used to flourish by producing smaller yet technically-gifted midfielders in the mould of Silva or Mata, but Guerra does not quite fall into that category. As a Spaniard, he obviously still has remarkable technical ability, though he stands at 6’1, meaning he is a fundamentally different type of player who possesses more athleticism and dynamism.
Unsurprisingly, his stamina is therefore one of his greatest qualities, while Guerra is also physically strong, presses aggressively and, above all, wants to get to the opponent’s goal as quickly as possible.
His two-footedness provides him with an extra weapon, and then there is perhaps Guerra’s strongest attribute: his shooting ability.
Bosch recognised this immediately during his time at Pucol: A free-kick was a guaranteed goal. But a penalty? The best you could hope for was a shot hitting the crossbar. He never held back and always shot way too hard!” Nowadays, Guerra shoots on average 1.64 times per 90 minutes, making him one of the most potent players in that regard for his position.
Off the pitch, Guerra swaps out his aggressive playing style for a more calm demeanour, saying of himself: “I’m just a normal guy who likes to do normal things with his friends and family. People say I’m very modest, but when I’m feeling confident, I like to joke around.”
Given Manchester United’s issues in midfield since the appointment of Ruben Amorim, it is perhaps not a surprise that the Red Devils continue to be linked with a summer swoop for Guerra. Aston Villa have also been reported as a potential landing spot in the Premier League, while Milan are said to be willing to spend up to €20m (£17.4m/$23m) to get Guerra to San Siro.
Valencia value Guerra at closer to €30m (£26m/$35m), and showed last summer that they are willing to play hardball after rejecting multiple offers from Atletico Madrid for Guerra.
“It was decided that I would stay at Valencia and, to be honest, I was happy with that,” he said to La Sexta in June. “If Atleti calls again this summer? Never say never, but I want to stay at Valencia. That’s my priority. If nothing crazy happens, I’ll stay here.”
It remains to be seen whether something “crazy” happens, but one thing is for certain: Javi Guerra is a hidden gem who won’t be hidden for much longer.