Defender Xavi Grande has ended his time at Levante UD following the termination of his contract. According to Levante-EMV, the club and player have parted ways this week after a loan move failed to materialize during the summer transfer window.
The right-back, developed in the granota academy since the benjamín category, had returned this summer after a season on loan at Portugal's CS Marítimo. There he played 26 matches and achieved promotion to the Primeira Liga. His debut with Levante's first team came in October 2023 against Villarreal CF B, and he was part of the squad that earned promotion to the First Division in 2025.
Why did the contract termination happen?
Xavi Grande's departure was in the works all summer. Diario AS reported that the club tried to place him on loan but couldn't find a suitable agreement. Sporting director Héctor Rodas had previously stated in a press conference that "the manager wanted to see him and his agent was told to find an exit, preferably a loan for more experience."
Ultimately, with no operation finalized, both parties opted to terminate the contract that originally ran until 2028. The 21-year-old player from Buñol thus obtains his release papers and can sign with any club now that the transfer window has closed. His future appears to point toward Portuguese football, where Académica de Coimbra shows interest according to the same outlet.
What did Felip Bens say about Levante's academy?
In his video analysis for Levante-EMV, journalist Felip Bens highlighted the fundamental role of the youth system for the club's viability. "The 25 million that Espí leaves in Orriols is the umpteenth miracle of the academy for the club's financial viability," Bens stated regarding the recent sale of the forward to Real Madrid.
The Valencian writer emphasized how these operations position Levante as a springboard for young talents. "The impact of everything the big global transatlantic clubs do focuses even more attention on the granota academy," he explained. Bens also mentioned that without Espí's first goals at Madrid, the club wouldn't have "scraped together nearly 10 million between Tunde and Álvarez" in previous operations.
How is Levante preparing for the match in Málaga?
The team travels this Sunday to La Rosaleda to face Málaga CF in the fourth round of La Liga. The granota side arrives at the match with 4 points in ninth place, following a record of one win, one draw, and one loss in their first three games. They have scored 5 goals and conceded 5, maintaining a neutral goal difference.
Málaga manager Juanfran Funes acknowledged the quality of the opponent in a press conference covered by Sport.es. "We've seen Levante as a team that is improving. The other day they scored five goals," he said about the rout against Betis. Funes added that "it's a team with patterns similar to ours" and that "they hurt us if they break the pressure line."
Málaga, bottom of the table with 0 points, faces the match without the seriously injured Julen Lobete, but with the return to training of Adrián Niño. The Gaditan forward reappeared on the pitch this Friday, although his participation against Levante seems unlikely according to his coach. Levante, which celebrates 117 years of history precisely in Málaga, will seek three points to approach European spots, as they currently trail leaders Barcelona by 5 points. You can check the team's progress on our stats page and see the full schedule in fixtures. The match at La Rosaleda will be played on September 6, 2026 at 18:30.
