Corberán ‘to seek’ physical midfield pivot, Ndidi and Onyeka among options | OneFootball

Valencia are assessing a move for a more physical holding midfielder this winter under Corberán. Santamaría has not delivered as hoped after last season’s Ligue 1 surge, while Pepelu is in strong form. With his role now largely as cover, Santamaría could depart this month.

Tribuna Deportiva reports that Ndidi is on the list for this window, a pursuit also attempted last summer and one that could demand a higher outlay. SkySports has added that Brentford’s Onyeka is another option, while Marca notes English clubs are also in for him.

In the summer, Santamaría and Pepelu were tipped to help fill the void after Barrenechea, who shone in the second half of last season. Despite Pepelu’s recent uptick, Valencia still require extra solutions in midfield.

In his latest press conference, the coach praised Pepelu’s character. He said penalties are worked on regularly but training cannot replicate match pressure, and he felt proud seeing Pepelu take one in stoppage time at Mestalla after a previous miss.

The search centres on a more robust pivot who can cover ground and win duels. Both targets are viewed as secondary to a starting centre-back, which remains the priority before any midfield addition.

Source: Superdeporte