Valencia CF sporting director Braulio Vázquez met this Wednesday with the agent representing Mexican internationals Erik Lira and Edson Álvarez at the club's Paterna training ground. The meeting, however, has not led to concrete negotiations, as the club views a move for Lira as unfeasible in the short term due to financial constraints.

The representative, Tarek Sebiat from the StayPro agency and a friend of manager Javier Aguirre, attended the talks. Regarding Lira, a Cruz Azul midfielder under contract until 2029 and valued at 14 million euros, Sebiat simply stated: "He is a good player, no further comment". Valencia have not contacted the Mexican club and are prioritising other needs, such as signing a centre-back in the January window.

Edson Álvarez's situation is different. The West Ham player, who can operate as a centre-back or defensive midfielder, has featured only once this season and is not being selected in the Championship. Valencia are considering a six-month loan option, which would align with Aguirre's contract length, provided the deal is economically viable. West Ham previously loaned him to Fenerbahçe.

Aguirre, who knows both players well, remains cautious. "For now I wouldn't dare to say anything because I don't have a proper diagnosis of what the team needs." the manager explained.

Other urgent club needs

The meeting takes place amid pressing sporting and organisational challenges. Valencia CF sit 19th in La Liga with just 5 points from 8 games, having recorded one win, two draws and five defeats. Their next fixture is this Saturday at Mestalla against 10th-placed Athletic Club, another test in their bid to climb away from the relegation zone.

Beyond defensive reinforcements, the club's technical secretariat needs strengthening following the departures of Ron Gourlay and Lisandro Isei. Braulio Vázquez is currently working with a very small team at Paterna and wants to bring in Domingo Catoira, a trusted associate currently at River Plate. The club must also expand its scouting network to identify targets ahead of time. Only after addressing these internal gaps and securing a centre-back could the club contemplate higher-cost operations like signing Erik Lira. The squad list, which you can review on our squad page, is looking to turn things around after the recent 2-2 draw with Racing Santander.

More detail at eldesmarque.com