A look at five facts about Valencia left-back Jose Luis Gaya, who has been linked with a summer transfer move to Arsenal after an excellent season in La Liga…
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1) He’s a local kid come good
A truly homegrown talent, Jose Luis Gaya was born in Valencia before making it good as one of their best players. The 19-year-old does, however, look like becoming the latest in a long line of big names to be poached by bigger clubs, with the likes of Juan Mata, David Silva and David Villa all leaving Valencia for moves elsewhere in recent times.
2) Only became a regular this season
Despite all the hype surrounding Gaya’s tremendous form, this is only his first season as a full first-team regular for Valencia, with the defender making 29 of his 34 total appearances for the La Liga club this year.
3) Not yet a full Spain international
A regular for Spain at youth level, Gaya is yet to break into the full Spanish national team, though he seems likely to do so before long, even if there is plenty of quality competition from players like Jordi Alba and Alberto Moreno.
4) Perfectly suited to Arsenal’s style
Described on Valencia’s official website as “an attacking full back with quality on the ball and very good vision”, Gaya sounds ideally suited to Arsenal’s style of play, with the full-backs often required to get forward and contribute in terms of goals, assists and all-round build-up play. Gaya has two goals and four assists so far this season.
5) He likes his social media
Like many footballers nowadays, Gaya is a frequent user of social media and can be found on Instagram (here) and Twitter (here).