Javier Aguirre is closing in on a return to Spanish club football, with Valencia CF the destination. Negotiations have been ongoing for several days, and multiple outlets suggest a deal is approaching — though the contractual fine print is still being worked through.
The catalyst is new sporting director Braulio Vazquez, who arrived from Osasuna last week and immediately identified Aguirre as his preferred candidate to replace Carlos Corberan. The logic is straightforward: Aguirre knows LaLiga inside out, having managed six clubs in Spain already — Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés, and Mallorca. Valencia would be number seven. No other active manager in the conversation for this job comes close to that level of familiarity with the Spanish game.
Why This Hire Makes Sense Right Now
Aguirre left the Mexico national team after the 2026 World Cup and has been waiting for the right opportunity. A club steeped in history but currently scrapping near the relegation zone of LaLiga is a different kind of challenge — but it's the kind he's navigated before. He kept Leganés and Espanyol afloat in circumstances that weren't much prettier than what Valencia are dealing with now.
The club's situation is grim by any honest assessment. Six LaLiga titles, eight Copa del Rey trophies, European silverware — and now years of stagnation under owner Peter Lim, whose reluctance to invest has pushed the fanbase to breaking point. Corberan couldn't arrest the decline, and the poor start to 2026-27 ended his tenure quickly.
Valverde and Arrasate were linked, but Vazquez's arrival changed the direction of the search entirely. Aguirre is now the name, and given how far negotiations have reportedly progressed, an official announcement may not be far away.
- Aguirre previously managed: Osasuna, Atlético Madrid, Real Zaragoza, Espanyol, Leganés, Mallorca
- Valencia would be his seventh LaLiga club
- Braulio Vazquez joined Valencia from Osasuna as sporting director last week
- Corberan was sacked following a poor start to the 2026-27 season
For anyone tracking Valencia's survival odds this season, the managerial appointment matters enormously. Aguirre's record in relegation battles gives him credibility that most candidates linked to this job simply don't have. Whether that's enough to steady a club in structural freefall is another question entirely.
