While release clauses are not all that frequent at Manchester United – or in the English Premier League as a whole – the same cannot be said of Spain’s La Liga.
Due to Spanish employment laws, as laid out by Forbes, everyone must have the right to pursue a change of vocation or location freely. This also applies to footballers, and goes some way to explaining why Paris Saint-Germain were able to snatch Neymar from under Barcelona’s nose back in 2017.
It also helps explain why Barca included a release clause in excess of £400 million in the much-coveted Pau Cubarsi’s deal, ensuring that history is unlikely to repeat itself.
And with Manchester United among the clubs reportedly keen on one of La Liga’s most promising midfield talents, the 100 million euro clause in his own contract threatened to make Javi Guerra something of a no-go for a Red Devils side with Financial Fair Play violations to stay clear of.
The good news, however, is that Valencia will not be holding out for £86 million. Valencia, TEAMtalk say, are open to negotiations. Guerra, meanwhile, could even be allowed to leave the Mestalla for ‘well below’ the £25 million mark, meaning his actual price-tag could be over £60 million less than first feared.
Manchester United can land Javi Guerra on the cheap
If that 100 million clause had Guerra’s suitors running for the hills, then suggestions that he may be permitted to depart for a far lower sum should have them flooding back in their droves.
TEAMtalk add that, in addition to Man United, Arsenal are also on red alert. Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has launched an enquiry of his own.
Guerra, who actually started his career at Castellon rivals Villarreal, has emerged as something of a leader in a very youthful Los Che dressing room despite only being 21 himself. The Spain youth star has featured in 35 of their 37 top-flight matches, scoring four goals from his playmaking role.
David Albelda, the Valencia legend, sees similarities between Guerra and the 2007 Ballon D’Or winner Kaka, even if the former is yet to discover the latter’s knack for reliable goalscoring.
“(The Valencia youngsters) have all shown signs because they have not been a flash in the pan. They are progressing. The one I see most established (in the first-team) is Guerra,” Albeda tells Cadena Cope.
“Javi Guerra, apart from everything he gives you and his scoring ability, is nice to watch for a fan. He is tall, fast, can dribble, and run back and forth. He is very interesting, both for us and – unfortunately – for the big teams.”
“There is something he has better than Kaka, which is defensive work-rate. Javi does it. He has a brutal physical potential.”
United’s midfield overhaul is only jut beginning
6ft 2ins and possessing both the physical and technical qualities to play in a variety of roles, Guerra is one of many young midfielders reportedly on Man United’s radar with Casemiro, Christian Erisken and Sofyan Amrabat all expected to depart.
Casemiro could be the subject of a £35 million bid from Saudi Arabia. Eriksen is out of contract in 2025. Amrabat, meanwhile, see not his loan deal from Fiorentina turned into a permanent transfer.
Guerra is likely to come a lot cheaper, too, than Everton’s Amadou Onana and Benfica’s Joao Neves, to name but two.