Javier Aguirre emerges as front-runner for the Valencia job

Valencia CF have identified Javier Aguirre as their leading candidate to take charge of the first team following the departure of Carlos Corberán. Talks between the Mestalla club and the Mexican coach have been under way for several days and have intensified to the point where Aguirre now stands as the strongest option on the table for sporting director Braulio Vázquez.

• Valencia and Javier Aguirre have been in advanced talks for several days.
• A conversation considered decisive for closing the deal is scheduled for Friday.
• Ernesto Valverde, the club's first choice, ruled himself out to continue his sabbatical.
• Aguirre, 67, is keen on taking charge of Valencia as the seventh LaLiga club of his career.
• The club wants to use the three-week international break for a mini preseason in Paterna.

Key Friday talks between Valencia and Aguirre

The negotiation process is being handled with a high level of discretion. Both the coach's camp and Valencia have kept a tight-lipped stance to avoid interfering in a dialogue that covers sporting and contractual matters still to be finalized. Even so, the circle of other coaches contacted by Braulio Vázquez is starting to assume the Mexican leads the race for the job.

Both sides are clearly willing to reach an agreement, and financial terms are not seen as a major obstacle. Aguirre's intention is to sign a contract that allows him to complete the current season and, depending on objectives such as securing survival, extend his stay into the following campaign.

Why Valencia are betting on Aguirre's profile

The sporting department values Aguirre's experience, his strong personality and his deep knowledge of LaLiga, qualities that fit the team's current needs. The Mexican coach has previously managed Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés and Mallorca, building a reputation as a specialist in dressing-room management and relegation battles.

Aguirre is excited about the chance to return to Spanish dugouts and make Valencia the seventh LaLiga club of his career.

Valencia, for their part, are not under immediate pressure to close the operation. The sporting director's first choice, Ernesto Valverde, ruled himself out to continue his sabbatical, which pushed the club to pursue the Mexican coach's route with determination.

Aguirre's situation after the 2026 World Cup

At 67, Javier Aguirre is out of work after completing his spell in charge of the Mexico national team, which ended following the 2026 World Cup. In recent months he has received offers from various clubs and national teams, but he has always shown a particular willingness to return to Spanish football, the stage for some of the most remarkable chapters of his coaching career.

Óscar Sánchez in charge against Real Sociedad

While negotiations advance, Óscar Sánchez will sit in the Mestalla dugout to lead the team against Real Sociedad. The club does not see an urgent need to close the deal now because the calendar provides room to maneuver: the three-week international break will allow the future coach to land in Paterna and run a mini preseason with the squad before competition resumes.

What is at stake for Valencia in the coming weeks

Valencia face a stretch of fixtures in which every point matters in the battle to move away from the bottom of the table. The appointment of the new coach comes amid maximum pressure, with survival as the top priority and a squad in need of a lift both mentally and tactically. Bringing in a coach with Aguirre's knowledge of the dressing room and the division aims to provide immediate stability.

The Mexican's track record in similar situations, including rescue missions at Leganés and Mallorca, is one of the strongest arguments behind Valencia's decision. The challenge now is to settle the final details of a deal both parties consider feasible.