Nicolas Otamendi’s agent Eugenio Lopez has confirmed the centre-back is doing everything he can to push for a transfer away from Valencia this summer.
The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this season but local newspaper Super Deporte has claimed the Argentinian is more than happy at the club and has no intention of leaving.
However, Lopez has come out to rubbish those claims and instead insists Otamendi, while he loves Valencia, is keen to leave this summer.
Here’s a full breakdown of what Lopez said today on Spanish radio:
All quotes come via Nicolas Otamendi’s agent on @SERDepValencia. A local radio station here in Valencia.
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Bad news for Valencia fans as Otamendi’s agent confirms that his client told Salvo (VCF president) two months ago that he wanted to leave.
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Eugenio Lopez, Otamendi’s agent, said: “There was an offer to leave in January. He was tempted but we agreed with VCF to stay.”
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “Nicolas told Salvo two months ago, to his face, that he wanted to leave Valencia in the summer."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Opez: “It surprises me a lot that Rufete (DoF at Valencia) said Nico told him he didn’t want to leave. It isn’t the truth."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “Nicolas is happy at VCF and with the fans but he’s got an option to improve on a professional level. Jorge Mendes knows this, too."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “It’s very important to know what the player wants to do, if a club doesn’t wish to pay the full release clause."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “There isn’t a pre contract agreement signed with any club."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “Nicolas hasn’t spoken to the press because what he needed to say, he said to the people that needed to hear it (VCF president)."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “It’s incredible that Rufete said Nicolas doesn’t want to leave. He’s either lying or there’s a lack of communication (at the club)."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “Nicolas loves everything at Valencia but if the chance arose to leave, he’d do everything possible to make it happen."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “Nico never says one thing then does another. He’s always said the same, just not in the press, only where/to who it matters."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
Lopez: “There was no need for the club to lie about what Nico supposedly said (VCF claimed he didn’t want to leave)."
— Andrew Gaffney (@GaffneyVLC) May 25, 2015
All in all, it doesn’t look very good for Valencia. Otamendi’s agent is angry that the message being conveyed from the club to the local press was one which made it sound like he wanted to stay. Whereas, Lopez claims Otamendi had always been very clear of his intention to leave.
As well as all of this, more Valencia based journalists are saying Otamendi is pushing for a €50m Manchester United transfer:
Flere og flere i Valencia-pressen backer nå påstand om at Otamendi pusher på for en overgang til Manchester United. €50M + mulig mva. #cmore
— Petter Veland (@ViaplayVeland) May 25, 2015
Otamendi’s release clause is €50m which is where the figures are coming from and by the looks of it with these latest comments from his agent, he is available to any team willing to pay the right price.
Whether that is Man United remains to be seen but given that Otamendi was widely considered to be one of the best centre-backs in La Liga this season, it would be a surprise if he wasn’t at least on Louis van Gaal‘s radar.