Valencia is making a virtue of necessity and players who are called to be the future of the team are already its present under the command of Javi Gracia. Thus, in another time, in a report on jewels from the Paterna quarry, we would surely talk about Yunus, Koba, Esquerdo, Molina or even Hugo Guillamón, but all of them have stopped knocking on the door of the first team dressing room because they are already inside.
The Academy is one of the pillars on which Peter Lim's project at Valencia is based, especially now that things are going wrong for him financially. But it would be wrong to consider such a bet as something revolutionary or even entrepreneurial. Nor would it be fair to focus exclusively on Paterna's health on the incorporations of recent years, mostly successful as evidenced by their performance. But Paterna, after all, has been the cradle of elite footballers for decades.
Since 2000, 72 players from their subsidiary have made their debut with the first team in an official match (six so far this season: Rivero, Kevin, Yunus, Molina, Jesús Vázquez and Koba) and with the 23 million euros – plus 12 in variables – from the transfer of Ferran Torres to Manchester City, the collection of the homegrown cash register amounts to 221 million since Inter will pay 18 million for Javier Farinós.
Are there wickers in the subsidiary and in the Juvenil A to continue the saga of homegrown players from Paterna? There are them and several of them have already worked under Javi Gracia and some have even made their debut in the Cup and / or in friendlies. The situation of Valencia, with one of the youngest squads in the First Division, is dragging the two teams that are the prelude to the elite: Mestalla, which trains Oscar Fernandez, which has in its ranks several players who by age could still compete in the Youth League, and Youth A, who trains Miguel Angel Angulo.
Jesús Vázquez, Hugo González, Facu or Pedro Alemañ
It is the case of Jesus Vazquez, Left back, 18 years old, international for Spain Under'18, after also passing through the Under'16 and Under'17, is called to follow in the wake of Jordi Alba, Juan Bernat, José Luis Gayà and Lato. Jesús, whom Gracia had in the cupbearer match against Terrassa, has been at Valencia's school since cherubs (5 years). Jesús is the son of Braulio Vázquez, today Osasuna's sports director. “I would sign him, yes, he has qualities, but like all kids he must demonstrate them in the elite,” his father recently commented in À Punt.
Jesús Vázquez, in training with Valencia.
Hugo Gonzalez (17 years) is another of the names that is repeated in the answers when asked about homegrown players with a first-team projection. In fact, Hugo made his debut this summer under the command of Javi Gracia in a friendly against Levante and is usually called upon to train with the ‘seniors’ from the Albert Celades stage. Hugo is a right-handed winger with a forward nose. He has been at the Valencia Academy since 2011 and his exposure came with Cadet A, with whom he scored 24 goals, a performance that led him to give the sato directly to Juvenile A (without going through B) and compete in the Youth League (he scored a goal against Chelsea).
Facundo Gonzalez (17 years old), Facu in his shirt, is a Uruguayan center-back, with a community passport, in which there are many expectations. Like Jesús Vázquez, Facu is one of the youth footballers who are one of the subsidiary's squad. In fact, Gracia has called him to the ranks of the first team in several training sessions. The Uruguayan, who has been living in Spain since he was 3 years old, joined Valencia in 2019 from RCD Espanyol. He is a left-handed central defender, corpulent (193 cm.), With good ball handling and a top speed according to the records of first team players. But from Facu, above all, his placement and his gift for coverage stand out.
Another player in the subsidiary discipline (although also with a Youth record) whose evolution goes through the channel of calling the elite is Pedro Alemañ (18 years old), who stood out in the last edition of the Youth League and to whom Gracia gave minutes in the summer in a friendly against Levante. Pedro is an offensive midfielder, left-handed, and on the radar of the inferiors of Spain. Born in Elche, he has good ball handling and ability to break lines. With a physique still to be polished, he's gaining experience in a category with its quirks like Second B.
Fabio Blanco, Mosquera, Navarro or Javi Guerra
The Youth A of Valencia also has a generation of players who, if they continue with their short-term progression, will make people talk in the medium and long term. Fabio Blanco (16 years old) is a regular at the Spanish Sub'16 concentrations, as he was previously in the Sub'15. He is a powerful, upright right-handed winger with ease for overflow and a sharp fang in front of goal. His virtues are similar to those of Ferran Torres and his body is more developed than that of the current Manchester City player at his age.
Fabio Blanco, Valencia player.
FVF
Christian mosquera (16 years old) renewed last August until 2023. Valencia set as a quarry goal the formation of centrals to nurture the first team in a few years and Mosquera is one of those prototypes. He is international with the Spanish Sub'16 team, measures 188 centimeters and can also act as a right back. Another international in the inferiors of Spain is the midfielder Javi navarro (17 years old), who came to the Valencia quarry in 2019 from Elche. Navarro shares an area in the center of the field with another youth squad to take into account: Javi war (18 years).