Just before the transfer window closes, Valencia are moving aggressively to bring in new faces. After the arrival of striker Marcos Andre, Granada’s right-back Dimitri Foulquier is also on board on a 4-year contract.
The move reunites the 28-year-old with Jose Bordalas, who coached Foulquier at Getafe for one season. He will provide much-needed reinforcement for a position that currently looks thin on personnel. While Thierry Correia and Daniel Wass shared the role last season, Bordalas’ preference to play the versatile Dane in midfield has left the Portuguese looking awfully lonely at right-back and in need of competition.
While Cristiano Piccini is Los Che’s other specialist right-back, the Italian’s unfortunate injury record has left him unable to be a reliable option. That’s where Foulquier comes in.
Strong in the tackle, blessed with pace, and seemingly able to cover the entire right flank on his own, it’s no wonder Bordalas has come back for his former player. He can also play as a wing-back – a good defensive option if Valencia come up against stronger opponents like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
While having played at Granada for the majority of his career, Foulquier also had a brief but ill-fated spell at Premier League side Watford in which he just played 3 league games for the club between 2017 and 2020. Loans to Getafe, Strasbourg and Granada followed, before he rejoined the Andalusian club. It was clear that LaLiga was a better fit – he racked up 4 assists last season.
Already, the former French Under-21 international, who now represents the Guadeloupe national team, has had a strong start to this season. Two weeks ago, he was the hero in Granada’s goalless draw against last season’s Europa League champions Villarreal with a last-ditch clearance in the 89th minute.
Bordalas will know how to get the best out of Foulquier. At Getafe, the right-back had enjoyed his most productive season in LaLiga, with 3 goals and 3 assists. Let’s hope the reunion proves fruitful on the field as it is on paper.
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