Javier Aguirre has described the visit of Erik Lira's agent to Valencia's facilities as a simple coincidence. The Mexican coach, preparing for his first home game at Mestalla this Saturday, downplayed speculation linking the Cruz Azul midfielder with a move to the LaLiga club.

Agent Tarek Sebiat, who represents the player and is part of the StayPro agency, met with Valencia's sporting director Braulio Vázquez at the Paterna training ground last Wednesday. The meeting sparked rumours of an imminent transfer, but Aguirre played it down with humour in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Athletic Club clash. "Casualidades de la vida, hijo… fue una casualidad" (Coincidences of life, son... It was a coincidence), the manager said when asked about the visit's purpose.

Aguirre confirmed he holds daily meetings with Vázquez to analyse the squad but stressed his primary focus is on improving results before requesting new signings. "I can't tell you that, but there have been meetings. Of course I meet with Braulio every day." he explained. Valencia are in a precarious league position, sitting 19th with just five points from eight games, a full 19 points behind leaders Barcelona. Their record stands at one win, two draws and five defeats, having scored six goals and conceded fifteen.

Erik Lira, aged 26, is a Mexican midfielder under contract with Cruz Azul until June 2029 with an estimated market value of around €14 million. Aguirre, who called him up for Mexico's 2026 World Cup squad, praised him as a "brilliant player" capable of competing in Europe. However, Valencia's financial limitations present a significant hurdle for any potential operation in the upcoming winter transfer window.

The coach also referenced another StayPro client, Edson Álvarez, without specifying any concrete interest. The team arrives with a recent form of one win, one draw and three losses in their last five outings, including a 2-2 draw with Racing Santander last time out where D. Raba and D. Otorbi scored. This poor run, which includes defeats to Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Barcelona, shows the need for a swift turnaround. Aguirre also ruled out moving the Mestalla bench, an idea he had suggested but abandoned out of respect for the club's tradition. His home debut in charge of Valencia will be this 17th of October.

More detail at Record MX