Valencia president Chan Lay Hoon insists the club wanted to keep hold of “icon” Paco Alcacer but says the striker's heart was with Barcelona. Alcacer, 23, completed a move to Barca on Tuesday, leaving his boyhood club in a deal that cost an initial €30million. Chan was saddened by Alcacer's decision to leave the Mestalla, but said Valencia had little choice but to allow the Spain international to depart. "He was an icon, a symbol and had been with us since he was 11," she said.

"But if someone who is an icon has his heart elsewhere, it makes no sense to turn them into an icon. "It was always the club's decision for him not to leave. "If we had wanted to sell, we would have done it three weeks earlier and not made the declaration of not wanting to sell." Alcacer was one of numerous key departures at Valencia, who also lost the likes of Shkodran Mustafi and Andre Gomes. Pako Ayestaran's team have made a slow start to the Liga season having taken no points from their opening two games, leaving them bottom of the table.