Liverpool's pursuit of Valencia winger David Otorbi has become significantly more complicated after the Spanish club doubled his release clause in a move widely seen as a direct response to English interest.

The 19-year-old had been a target for Liverpool, who were reportedly prepared to trigger his existing €30 million release clause to bring him to Anfield. Valencia, however, have acted swiftly to protect their asset, activating a renewal option in Otorbi's contract ahead of schedule and raising the buyout figure to €60 million.

Contract extension and the clause that changes everything

Spanish outlet Fichajes reports that Valencia CF exercised a renewal option embedded in Otorbi's deal, extending his contract from its original expiry in June 2028 to June 2031 — an additional three seasons. Along with the contract extension, Valencia improved the player's salary terms and are considering a further review of his deal down the line.

The renewal had initially been tied to a performance condition: Otorbi was required to complete ten matches of at least 45 minutes each before the option could be triggered. Valencia chose to waive that requirement early, with Fichajes noting the club moved specifically due to interest from England.

Otorbi's season so far

A Spanish under-18 international, Otorbi made his senior debut for Valencia in August 2024 but has been introduced to first-team football gradually. He did not feature in La Liga at all last season, yet head coach Javier Aguirre has handed him three league starts in 2026/27.

His campaign took a positive turn when he scored his first La Liga goal in a 2-2 draw against Racing Santander earlier this month. The momentum was short-lived, though — he was forced off through injury within 15 minutes of Valencia's subsequent defeat to Villarreal.

Fichajes states that Otorbi will concentrate on recovering from the injury while Valencia finalises the official announcement of the contract extension. Looking ahead to the January 2027 transfer window, the report suggests any deal will hinge on whether clubs are prepared to meet or negotiate below the new €60 million threshold.

Liverpool's position

Liverpool appear unlikely to stretch their budget that far. The club brought in Victor Munoz, 23, and Bradley Barcola, 24, during the summer, while Cody Gakpo has made a strong start to the season across multiple attacking roles. Equally pressing is the need to give emerging talent Rio Ngumoha, 18, a clear route to regular football — a path that becomes harder to ignore the more he impresses.

On the pitch, Liverpool face a more immediate priority: they host Arsenal on Sunday in the Premier League, with the chance to cut the gap to second-placed Arsenal to just three points.