MADRID, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Valencia on Friday confirmed they have taken up the option to buy Turkish international central defender Cenk Ozkacar for a fee of around five million euros from Lyon.
The 22-year-old spent last season on loan with Valencia, making three appearances in the Copa del Rey and 17 appearances in La Liga, as the club struggled until the last game of the season to retain their place in Spain's top division.
Ozkacar will sign a contract until the end of June 2028, ensuring that the club has retained a player who is important to their future.
The decision to keep Ozkacar means Valencia will now probably look to loan out promising B-team defenders, such as Cristhian Mosquera, Facundo Gonzalez or Yarek Gasiorowski.
Despite playing in the fourth tier of the Spanish game, Valencia's B-team proved vital to Valencia's survival last season, with players such as Diego Lopez, Fran Perez and Javi Guerra playing an important role in the closing games of the campaign.
Lopez scored three goals, including one against Real Madrid, in just under 450 minutes of first-team football, while Guerra netted a late winner against Valladolid, which would ultimately prove vital in keeping the club in the Spanish top-flight. ■
