Reports: Manchester United to trigger £71m release clause of La Liga star

Mourinho Manchester United Carlos Soler
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What's the story?

Manchester United's chase of Valencia starlet Carlos Soler has begun to heat up, with the Red Devils reportedly lining up a bid in January, according to a report in British news outlet, The Daily Star. Jose Mourinho was initially confident that a £45 million bid would be accepted by Los Che, but their involvement in the La Liga title race has complicated matters, with Valencia unwilling to let the starlet leave in January. Thus, the Premier League giants are all set to trigger Soler's release clause of €80 million, and thereafter negotiate personal terms with the creative midfielder.

Also Read: Valencia CF: Finally ready to fly in La Liga?

In case you didn’t know...

Valencia snapped up Carlos Soler in 2005 at the tender age of 8, with the youngster going through most of his youth career as a striker, before blossoming into an attacking midfielder. He made his first senior appearance for Valencia’s B team at the age of 18, following which he made his debut for Valencia in the 2016/17 season. Despite the turmoil surrounding the club, the 20-year-old quickly became a regular and was one of the bright spots for the Los Che faithful. The youngster scored his first ever goal in January of this year, netting in a 2-0 win over Villarreal.

The heart of the matter

The arrival of Marcelino as manager has enabled Soler to flourish, with the tricky midfielder now plying his trade out wide on the right wing. He has played 952/1080 minutes of Valencia’s season, appearing in every single game. The Spaniard has racked up 4 assists and 1 goal in 12 appearances this season, this alerting most of Europe’s top clubs.

Given Valencia’s long-standing financial issues, Manchester United were hopeful that a bid of £45 million would be enough. However, the Peter Lim-owned outfit signed Soler to a new deal that would keep him at the club until 2021, also placing a €80 million release clause to ward off potential suitors.

However, Jose Mourinho is desperate for a right-sided creative midfielder who can track back, and Soler fits the bill perfectly. Reports in Spain claim the Red Devil’s are all set to trigger Soler’s release clause in January. As for the player himself, he’s still focused on Valencia, saying “I’m focused on Valencia. Regarding those things [the interest from Manchester United] I know nothing. It would be foolish to think about those things right now.”

Also Read: 10 best midfielders in football at the moment

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Author’s Take:

The train only comes once to your stop. If Soler rejects the chance to go to Manchester United now, it may never happen for him again. Valencia are the third biggest club in Spain, but United are United and the chance to work under Jose Mourinho ought to surely tempt the young Spaniard.

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Edited by Sunaadh Sagar