The name of Iván Jaime sounds more and more strongly. At the moment, this 22-year-old from Malaga has become one of the fashionable players in the Portuguese league due to his performances at Famalicao. “Without a doubt, this has been my year… of my short career,” the young Andalusian tells AS, who has settled on the far left of the Portuguese club, a team that was about to get into the Cup final (eliminated by Porto after extra time) and has fought for Europe until the end. “It would have been the icing on the cake, the team has had a fantastic season and on an individual level I am satisfied”, he highlights.
His eleven goals and five assists have caught the attention of many clubs in Europe, including the ‘big’ of Portugal. But it’s not just his numbers, but his way of playing. Named midfielder of the month in the Portuguese leagueis up in the statistics of the best dribbler in the competition and his style is characterized by its spectacularity. “Maybe it’s because I’m not afraid to fail when I face it and I constantly tryI like to do different things, not only in football, but also in life, and I transfer that to the field”, explains this footballer who played as a midfielder in lower categories and, as he reached the elite, he advanced his position .
From the Malaga neighborhood of La Luz, he made his debut with the Malaga first team, although after the lack of continuity, he made the decision to leave in search of more opportunities. Famalicao appeared in the middle of the pandemic: “I will always be grateful to Málaga, although my departure was not as I would have liked. When I wanted to try abroad, my agent told me that a First Division club in Portugal was interested. I liked the project they presented to me, a serious club that was fighting to play in Europe. And I needed a change, ”he says. And he was right: “I wasn’t afraid of going abroad, I wanted to live new experiences and I think that has shaped me not only as a player, but as a person.”
As a young Malaguista youth squad player, Iván came to experience the days of the Andalusian entity in the Champions League. “I see with great sadness what has happened, the team had been through several difficult years and hopefully this will serve to change things and start again”, he gives his opinion on the malaguista relegation to the First RFEF. “It is a city, a fan base and a club that not only deserve to be in the First Division, but fight for important things”, points out an Iván Jaime who lives alone in Portugal, although with constant visits from his girlfriend and family to the municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicao, a quiet city of about 133,000 inhabitants between Porto and Braga. There he finds himself fully adapted in his third season. However, after its explosion, his figure appears insistently in the market.
a key summer
And it is that his name, the one that looks on the number that he likes the most, the 10, has already appeared related to several clubs in the main leagues. “I focus on playing and finishing the year well. That is my big goal. But I’m in contact with my agent and I know that there is interest from various clubs. I’m very calm and let’s see what happens this summer…”, says the man from Malaga, who is aware of the philosophy of his current team, whose board of directors has already publicly stated that it is waiting for offers. “The club and I go hand in hand. From the first day they were sincere and They explained to me that their philosophy is to detect young talents to serve as a showcase and then sell. Although the club is growing a lot”, reveals Iván Jaime. From there Toni Martínez left for Porto, Ugarte for Sporting…
For this reason, and although he has a contract until 2025, this transfer period could mean a change: “We will assess all the proposals and choose the best one. I have always said that England calls me, that I could adapt my game to the Premier, but I have no priorities, I look at how interesting the proposal is”. And Spain? “Well, if a good option arrives, of course. But I am not one of those who is in a hurry to return to Spain at all costs.. The important thing is to move forward and grow with a good project, that is what interests me the most. I don’t care what country it’s in.”