Valencia signs Pablo Maffeo on loan with option to buy

Spanish club Valencia has bolstered its defense by securing the loan of right-back Pablo Maffeo from Greek side Olympiacos. The deal includes an option for Valencia to purchase Maffeo's rights permanently at the end of his loan spell, which is set for two seasons.

Maffeo, a 29-year-old Spanish-Argentine defender, returns to La Liga after previously playing for Mallorca for five seasons. His move to Valencia comes just two months after he joined Olympiacos. During his time at Mallorca, Maffeo made 160 appearances, scoring 5 goals and providing 15 assists, and played 31 matches in his final season with the club.

His career began in Espanyol's youth academy before he moved to Manchester City's youth system at age 15. He debuted for City's first team in 2016 and has since played for clubs including Stuttgart, Huesca, and Mallorca. Maffeo has represented Spain at various youth levels and was called up by Argentina in 2023, though he did not debut.

Valencia's pursuit of a right-back was driven by the departure of Thierry Correia and an injury to Dimitri Foulquier. While the acquisition of Maffeo addresses this need, the club has indicated that the pursuit of Arnau Martínez from Girona is not entirely off the table.