Valencia Basket bets on two international talents

The Valencia Basket continues to strengthen its strategy for identifying and developing young talent with two signings that reflect the club's commitment to long-term training. Both projects, while different in age and background, share a common goal: to grow within the taronja structure and become future references for the entity.

Ayomide Ajayi, the English bet with Italian experience

Ayomide Ajayi joins the Valencia Basket as one of the big bets for the future. The 16-year-old power forward, standing at 2.04 meters, comes from the Brent Panthers in London, where he has developed his skills in British basketball. His international profile is already well established: this summer, he competed with the Italian national team in the Eurobasket U16, gaining experience against the best European teams in his category.

Ajayi's signing aligns with the club's philosophy of detecting young talent with growth potential before they reach greater international prominence. The Valencia Basket foresees that the young Englishman will have a key role in the U22 League this season, allowing him to accelerate his competitive development within the taronja structure.

During the Eurobasket U16, Ajayi competed alongside two Spanish references from Valencia Basket: Carlos Elordi and Sergio Palau, who won the bronze medal with the Spanish national team. This coincidence in the international competition highlights the level of talent that the club is attracting to L'Alqueria del Basket.

Nathán Furnémont: the Belgian point guard who already impresses

Nathán Furnémont, at just 14 years old, is the second signing in this commitment to the youth academy. The Belgian point guard already has previous experience within the Valencia Basket structure, having participated as a guest in the 2026 Minicopa Endesa, where he posted numbers that caught the coaching staff's attention.

In that competition, Furnémont played all five matches of the tournament and averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 27 minutes. Notable figures for a player of his age that demonstrate his capacity for immediate impact on the court. His performance in the Minicopa Endesa showcased that the potential of the Belgian point guard transcends his young age.

International progression with Belgium U16

Furnémont's progression has been so remarkable that he was selected for the Belgian U16 national team this summer, despite being two years younger than most of his teammates. In the Eurobasket U16, he played all seven matches of the competition, averaging 1.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals in an average of 13.5 minutes.

Although his offensive numbers were moderate, Furnémont stood out particularly in the defensive area, where he recorded six recoveries in a single match against France, a figure that ranked among the best individual performances in the tournament in this category. His defensive capability and court vision, characteristics typical of a projecting point guard, are the attributes that Valencia Basket values for his future development.

Integration into the taronja structure

Furnémont is currently integrated into the Valencia Basket structure, with a development forecast spanning several years. His journey will continue from the Cadete A category, progressively climbing through the different lower categories until reaching the first team. This long-term development plan reflects the club's patience and confidence in the potential of the young Belgian point guard.

The strategy of Valencia Basket with both signings responds to a clear philosophy: to invest in young talent identified early, provide them with an optimal development environment at L'Alqueria del Basket, and allow them to evolve naturally towards the first team. This approach has proven effective on other occasions, producing players with deep roots within the organization.

A strengthened youth academy for the future

The signing of Ajayi and Furnémont is part of a broader context of strengthening the taronja youth academy. The club seeks not only to have quality players in the present but also to build a solid base of talent for upcoming seasons. The diversity of backgrounds—London for Ajayi, Belgium for Furnémont—demonstrates that Valencia Basket operates in a global talent detection market.

Both players bring with them international experience in elite competitions, which accelerates their competitive maturity. The fact that Furnémont has already proven his worth in the Minicopa Endesa and that Ajayi has experience in the Eurobasket U16 suggests that the club has conducted thorough analysis before making these signing decisions.

The Valencia Basket continues to demonstrate its commitment to the comprehensive training of young talents, combining playing opportunities, technical development, and international experience. With Ayomide Ajayi and Nathán Furnémont, the taronja entity strengthens its commitment to the future, building an academy that promises to be competitive in the coming years.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Valencia Basket apuesta por dos talentos internacionales