Nani to Valencia: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More
Portugal international winger Nani has completed his transfer from Fenerbahce to Valencia, confirmed on Tuesday.
News of the move came via the Spanish club:ย
The transfer sees the 29-year-old return to one of the elite leagues in European football and handed a chance to shine at one of the continent's biggest clubs. Here is a look at what Nani will bring to the Estadio Mestalla in 2016-17:
Nani was a big-money buy for Manchester United in 2007, signing for ยฃ19 million from Sporting Club and joining with the promise of huge potential to be fulfilled. And while he enjoyed plenty of success in his seven years at Old Trafford, the Portugal man never quite lived up to the billing.
The winger won the UEFA Champions League with United in the 2007-08 term, along with four Premier League titles and one FA Cup. It wasnโt enough to stop former manager Louis van Gaal moving him out on loan back to Sporting for a season in 2014, though, before a permanent move to Turkey went ahead last summer.
Heโs enjoyed a renaissance of sorts since and impressed at the 2016 UEFA European Championship for Portugal. World Soccer Talkโs Nipun Chopra hailed the wide manโs talent during the tournament:
Itโs quality heโll be seeking to show much more frequently at Valencia. Last term was something of a disaster for Los Che, as they sacked two managers (Nuno Santo and Gary Neville), flirted with relegation and eventually found their way out of trouble under the guidance of Pako Ayestaran.
A player of Naniโs quality will help Valencia be much more competitive next season. The winger can operate on either flank or off the centre-forward, and he has the ingenuity to conjure brilliant moments in games. Bleacher Report's Andy Brassell thinks he should continue to play at the point of the attack at his new club:
His shooting on either foot, devilish crossing and ability to drive at opposition defenders makes him a wonderful player to watch when on form.
Ayestaran and the Valencia supporters will have to put up with some erratic play, not to mention a player that doesnโt typically indulge in the defensive or physical side of the game. But Nani is well suited to La Liga and is the kind of player thatโll give the Mestalla crowd some overdue excitement.
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