Mayol steps up at 18 and already asks for a place in Valencia

Aarón Mayol, the Valencia midfield youngster, stole the spotlight in the 0-1 away win at Alavés at Mendizorroza. At just 18—he turned that age last March—interim coach Óscar Sánchez trusted him in the starting XI, and the gamble paid off: Mayol played the full 90 minutes and, through his way of playing, made it clear he’s looking for continuity in this new Valencia.

Jump to the first team

Mayol spent more than a decade in Levante’s youth setup before joining Valencia’s Academy in 2025. In May, Valencia extended his deal to 2029, with a €15m release clause. The article says that, with Sánchez, he has moved quickly through the stages. The coach already knew his qualities from their time together in Juvenil A, and later brought him into the Mestalla setup when he took charge of the reserve team.

Impact with numbers

With the club in a pressure situation—now under Sánchez after Carlos Corberán was dismissed—Mayol took on responsibilities and didn’t hide. Mundo Deportivo highlights an 86% pass accuracy (19/22 accurate passes into the opponent’s half and 5/6 long-ball passes), 6 recoveries, 3 fouls and even one dribble.

“Now we need continuity”

Sánchez justified the choice by pointing to what he sees in training and matches: “Su rendimiento es lo que me lleva a ponerlo… Ahora hay que tener paciencia, hay que darle continuidad.” After that, Mayol’s message is simple: he wants to keep playing, and Mundo Deportivo’s report suggests the coach is ready to give him that chance.