Valencia snap up Dutch defender De Haas on free summer transfer
Los Che confirm deal for 6'4" Dutch centre-back Justin de Haas from Portuguese side Famalicão, with Mali international Aliou Dieng likely next through the door.
Valencia CF have officially confirmed the signing of Dutch defender Justin de Haas, with the 26-year-old set to join on a free transfer when his contract with Portuguese outfit Famalicão expires this summer.
Deal revealed by club CEO
Valencia’s CEO Ron Gourlay let the cat out of the bag during Wednesday’s press conference, stating: “We’re already working on summer, we’ve signed Justin de Haas.”
The transfer wasn’t exactly breaking news for those paying attention, as MARCA journalist Mateo Moretto had already reported Valencia’s interest in the defender back on January 25th.
Who is Justin de Haas?
The Dutch defender brings some impressive physical attributes to Mestalla:
- Left-footed centre-back who can also play at left-back
- Towering presence at 1.94m (6’4”)
- Just turned 26 years old
- Has signed a multi-year contract with Los Che
De Haas came through the youth systems at AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven in his native Netherlands. After spending time with PSV’s under-21s and going through several loan spells, he moved to Lokomotiv Zagreb in Croatia before landing at Famalicão in Portugal, where he’s currently playing out the remainder of his contract.
The defender has represented the Netherlands at youth international level and will bolster Valencia’s defensive options next season.
More transfer activity brewing
Gourlay also hinted that another signing is nearly in the bag, mentioning that Valencia have “another player very close to being signed.”
While he didn’t name names, all signs point to Aliou Dieng, a defensive midfielder currently playing for Egyptian side Al Ahly. The 26-year-old Mali international, who recently participated in the Africa Cup of Nations, is reportedly being eyed as a market opportunity despite playing in a league that’s considered below the competitive level of Europe’s top divisions.
Like De Haas, Dieng’s contract is set to expire in 2026, making him a potentially shrewd acquisition for the Spanish side who are clearly getting their ducks in a row early for next season.