Renzo Saravia arrives at Valencia with a point to prove — and a chip on his shoulder
Argentine defender Renzo Saravia has joined Valencia until the end of the season, snubbing other clubs to take on a relegation battle at Mestalla.
Valencia have brought in Argentine full-back Renzo Saravia on loan until the end of the season, and the lad’s not shy about what he brings to the table.
The situation at Mestalla
Let’s not dress it up — Valencia are in a proper scrap right now. They’re sitting just two points above the relegation zone, and the January window was used to bring in some bodies with experience and a bit of fight. Saravia fits that bill.
The Córdoba-born defender has played mostly in Argentina and Brazil throughout his career, but he’s clearly fancied a crack at La Liga, and when Valencia came calling, he didn’t need much convincing.
Why Valencia, why now?
Apparently there were other clubs sniffing around, but Saravia made his mind up sharpish. He turned down what he described as interesting offers elsewhere because, for him, the chance to play in Spain’s top flight was the deciding factor. You can’t really argue with that logic.
What also helped was having familiar faces already at the club:
- Guido Rodríguez — fellow Argentine and winter signing, someone Saravia knows well from international duty
- Lucas Beltrán — on loan from Fiorentina, who apparently talked up the club and the fans to Saravia before he put pen to paper
Having mates in the dressing room never hurts when you’re walking into a relegation dogfight halfway through a season.
What kind of player is he?
Saravia is a right-sided defender who can play as a traditional full-back or as a right-sided centre-back in a back three. Versatility’s always handy, but what really stands out from his first words as a Valencia player is the attitude.
He described himself as “a pretty aggressive player” — and he clearly means that as a compliment. Competitive, wants to be involved, winner’s mentality. Exactly the sort of profile you want when you’re staring down the barrel of the drop.
The Córdoba connection
One of the more charming bits of this whole story is the history between Valencia and footballers from Córdoba, Argentina. Saravia was quick to mention it — Kempes, Aimar, Beltrán, and now him. It’s a proper little lineage, and you can tell it means something to him to be part of it.
Message to the fans
Saravia is dead keen to experience Mestalla for the first time, and he’s already sent a message to the supporters — back the team, stick together, because the games coming up are massive. It’s the right thing to say, and if he backs it up with performances, the Valencia faithful will take to him quick enough.
The bottom line: This is a signing about grit and nous rather than glamour. Valencia need players who’ll run through walls in the next few months, and on first impressions, Saravia looks like he’s got that in him.