In a recent tweet, Futbol Total claimed that Barcelona are eyeing a January move for Valencia left-back Jose Gaya this summer. It has been mentioned that the Catalan club could move in for the Spanish defender this winter.
Gaya’s Impressive Season In Spanish Football
Gaya had a decent campaign at the Mestalla Stadium as he put in a series of impressive displays on the left side of Valencia’s backline. The 27-year-old registered two goals and five assists in 31 matches for the Spanish outfit last season on all fronts.
The Pedreguer-born talent performed well to average 1.5 tackles, 0.7 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 0.7 shots, 1.0 key passes and 0.7 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even distributed the ball relatively well after completing 75.3% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
What Will Gaya Bring To Barcelona?
Gaya is a good tackler of the ball and can make a few timely interceptions when defending at the back. He usually clears the danger when needed and can create a few inviting opportunities for his teammates in the final third. Gaya is primarily a left-back but can also operate as a left-sided wide player if required. He can deliver some dangerous crosses from the left flank and is a good dribbler with the ball as well.
However, the Spanish talent has to find a way to improve his passing accuracy if he wants to be a success story at a top club like Barcelona. His current contract at the Mestalla Stadium is set to expire in the summer of 2023.
At 27, Gaya is currently playing at his prime, so Barca would be wise to arrange a cut-price move for the Spanish left-back during the January transfer window. He will bring more quality to Xavi‘s defensive department at the Nou Camp.
Gaya could even serve as an ideal successor to Jordi Alba at the Catalan club. He already knows the La Liga well by now and won’t take much time to settle into life at Barcelona if Xavi can successfully devise a way to get him on board this winter.
