Parejo is officially a groguet player

Dani Parejo is in the house. The midfielder has been announced for the squad managed by Unai Emery and will train for the first time with his new teammates this afternoon. This come some hours after Coquelin having been announced as a new signing.

The initial reports talk that he has come for free to Villarreal, signing for three seasons and a fourth optional. This, adding to the signing of Coquelin would put the Valencian duo at a combined cost of 8 millions with a Transfermarkt combined value (orientative, doesn’t mean they were that exact value) of 34 millions. It’s fair to say this has been a great signing so far, adding depth to the midfield, much needed with Anguissa returning from the loan and Bruno retiring.

Dani Parejo was born in Coslada and came through Real Madrid youth system, and after five months loaned to Queens Park Rangers, returned to Real Madrid to finish the 2008/09 season. Transfered to Getafe, he rose to prominence there and arrived to Valencia. He had some rough seasons, as his capacity to score made that coaches saw him as an attacking midfielder. Txingurri Valverde was the one that came to Valencia and saw his possibilities to see the football in another position, putting him as a central midfielder. While he has asked from time to time his departure from Valencia, he rose to the position of captain, and became a legend of Valencia for being the captain the year of the centenary and lift the Copa del Rey.

All in all, for the price tag I see it as a genius signing, and a player that even though he’s 31, he still has some gas in the tank left, and he will be ambitious as he was also working to make himself a player for the national team and go to the Euro Championship.