La Liga chief sets out stance on Newcastle United and Man Utd target amid £86m release clause claim

Newcastle United and Manchester United have been given a stern warning over their reported interest in Valencia’s highly-rated midfielder Javi Guerra.

The 20-year-old has made rapid progress since making his senior debut for the La Liga club’s ‘B’ team just over two years ago. Within six months he had earned a maiden call-up to the Valencia first-team setup and made a senior bow in a Copa del Rey win against Atletico Balaeres in January 2022.

A La Liga debut finally arrived in April this year in a 2-0 defeat against Sevilla but Guerra would make a big impact just days later when he scored a late winner in a 2-1 home victory against Real Valladolid after being introduced into the action as a substitute just minutes earlier.

Now a permanent fixture in the first-team setup at the Mestalla Stadium, Guerra has featured in all eight of his side’s La Liga fixtures so far this season and has continued to shine with three goals and one assist over the first two months of the campaign.

Unsurprisingly, his form has also led to international recognition and the youngster made his Spain Under-21s debut last month as he helped his side to wins in European Under-21 Championship qualifiers against Malta and Scotland.

His progress has also led to reported interest from several clubs with both Manchester United and Newcastle said to have been represented at Valencia fixtures so far this season as they assess a player with a release clause believed to be around £86m placed in his current contract with the La Liga club.

However, one key figure at Valencia has delivered a stern warning over Guerra’s future as sporting director Miguel Angel Corona explained the sale of the young midfielder is ‘not in their plans’.

He told MailSport: “We are fully aware that we have a player with enormous potential for the future and the ability to perform at a good level now.

“That is why the club have decisively moved him up to the first team in recent months. It is not in our plans to sell him to any club. Our future plans involve continuing to give him the appropriate condition so that he is able to develop his full potential under Rubén Baraja, become an important player and continue to build a Valencia team of the immediate future around players like him.

He continued: “We have been aware of what he is capable of for a long time, we have been helping him and demanding more from him every step of the way, from youth level to the elite.

“He has to continue working in this way. We have to be cautious when making assessments about his level or how far he will be able to go, as he is a young player and has a long way ahead of him, but only he, with his day-to-day work, will determine where his limit is.”

Guerra will be back in action for Valencia this weekend when they travel to Real Mallorca.