After being close to signing for a host of other clubs, Valencia are now said to be the final destination for Belgian wonderkid Zakaria Bakkali.

Just over a fortnight ago, local media outlets were convinced Belgian sensation Zakaria Bakkali would complete a move to Europa League winners, Sevilla. Then everything went quiet.

The supremely talented 19-year-old forward, who has also been linked with clubs such as Stoke City and Celtic, was then said to have made an about-turn and instead, opted for a move to Portugal and Benfica, according to sports newspaper A Bola.

With his departure from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven confirmed, the press in Valencia are now assuring that within the next week, Bakkali will move to the Mestalla.

Online portal El Desmarque were amongst the first outlets in Valencia to run the story on Monday night, claiming Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, who represents the player: “Has committed to closing a transfer to Valencia next week.”

On Tuesday, Plaza Deportiva then added: “Bakkali is a step from becoming a new Valencia player. The operation is in its final stages.” They also highlighted that despite negative reports about his personal life, the club “will take a chance on the player and hope he triumphs at the Mestalla.”

The leading sports newspaper in the city, Super Deporte, also weighed in with their angle on the Bakkali story, noting: “The agreement between Peter Lim’s club and the player is a reality. All that remains is the signature of a promising talent, who will arrive at the Mestalla for zero cost.”

Given there have been so many clubs linked with interest in Bakkali, and so many twists and turns over recent weeks, as to which club he will eventually choose, this could be just the latest chapter before his true destination is revealed.

However, the key difference when it comes to Valencia, is the figure of Jorge Mendes, as he also represents the player. His deep level of involvement with Valencia and advice to owner Peter Lim, would seem to suggest this is at the very least, an investment opportunity the Singapore billionaire simply can’t afford to miss out on.

What many of the media outlets in Valencia do seem to agree on though, is that it’s manager Nuno Espirito Santo, who will decide if the young star will feature in his plans for the 2015-16 season. Also suggested, is that Valencia could sign Bakkali, then loan him out to another club.

Certainly the latter option would seem feasible, with the likelihood that if he’s not to feature immediately for Valencia, they would seek to loan Bakkali to another La Liga club, so as to help him adapt to Spanish football and monitor his progress closer to hand.

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