Valencia Club de Fútbol has had a busy day in the transfer market's final hours, finalising the departure of one midfielder and securing a reinforcement from the Premier League. The club has formalised the loan of André Almeida to Racing de Santander for this season, while BBC Sport Football confirmed the loan signing of Harvey Elliott from Liverpool.
Carlos Corberán's team heads into their next match, against leaders Barcelona on September 6th, sitting 16th in LaLiga with just one point from three games. Their current record stands at zero wins, one draw, and two losses, having scored one goal and conceded four.
Harvey Elliott, a 23-year-old midfielder, became a Valencia player on Tuesday after a loan agreement was reached with Liverpool. The Englishman, whose contract with the Reds runs until 2028, does not have a mandatory purchase option at the end of the campaign. Elliott expressed his motivation for the move. "I wanted the opportunity to come here, play regularly and experience a different league," the player said.
This is Elliott's second consecutive loan spell, having played for Aston Villa last season. His arrival aims to add creativity to a Valencia midfield that needs to generate more attacking play, a clear issue after scoring only once in the first three league games. Fans can check the player's full profile on our squad page.
André Almeida has temporarily ended his four-year spell at Mestalla with a move to Racing de Santander. The 26-year-old Portuguese midfielder played 119 matches for Valencia, scoring four goals and providing 13 assists. Mundo Deportivo detailed that his exit came after a potential transfer to Swansea City fell through this summer, as the player awaited an offer from Celta Vigo.
Almeida, a product of Vitória de Guimarães, was a regular starter in recent campaigns, but the arrival of Elliott and competition for his position have prompted his loan move in search of minutes. The club publicly thanked him for his professionalism during his time at the club and wished him luck in his new project.
Valencia's season has started poorly, with just one point earned and an eight-point gap to leaders Barcelona. Besides the 0-0 draw against Celta Vigo on August 22nd the team suffered a heavy 3-1 defeat to Deportivo de La Coruña at Riazor, according to the match report from El Mundo Deportes. Defensive errors and a lack of cutting edge hampered the team in that match.
The current situation can be tracked in our standings section, which highlights the urgency to pick up points. The next fixture, precisely against Barça, represents a huge challenge to try and change the dynamic. The full schedule is available in our fixtures section.
For the last match against Real Betis, manager Carlos Corberán made three changes to the starting eleven compared to the game against Celta. According to line-up information confirmed by Superdeporte and carried by Onefootball, left-back José Luis Gayà started on the bench, making way for Jesús Vázquez. Mouctar Diakhaby slotted into central defence due to Justin de Haas's injury, and Hugo Duro was the starting centre-forward.
The lineup was: Dimitrievski; Maffeo, Diakhaby, Tárrega, Pepelu, Jesús Vázquez; Guido Rodríguez, Javi Guerra, Sato; Danjuma and Hugo Duro. These adjustments did not prevent the team from continuing to struggle to convert chances, a problem they have carried since the start of the campaign. The team searches for its first league win on September 6th at Mestalla.
