Valencia loses Sato and Arnau from rotation: the €10m fades

Valencia spent €10 million on Sato and Arnau Martínez in the summer market, but after Rubén Corberán was dismissed both quickly fell out of the rotation: the Japanese has four straight league games on the bench without playing, while the right-back has logged just eight minutes with Óscar and four with Aguirre.

Rotation changes after Corberán

As MARCA reports, Sato started the first three league matches with Corberán in charge, was a substitute versus Barcelona, and returned to the starting XI in Ché’s last game before the coach left. Since then, neither Óscar nor Aguirre have given him any playing time.

Arnau’s drop-off, minutes vanish

Arnau Martínez, for whom Valencia paid over €5.5 million to Girona after pushing for a right-back all summer and once Maffeo arrived, has followed the same pattern: he started in the three matches he played with Corberán (more time at centre-back than at right-back). After Corberán’s exit, opportunities dried up, with Maffeo established as an ever-present starter.