The Star Ledger – USA Today Sports

French defender Adil Rami finally conquered what he wanted and he will leave Valencia in January. After the comments made by the center back, where he reportedly criticized his teammates, the manager and even the chairman of the team, he was given a one-week suspension but with the compromise to work on a deal so Rami could leave Mestalla as soon as possible.

Enter AC Milan.

Related: Real Madrid Preparing a €40M Offer for Ramires?

The Italians have several issues at the start of their season and they need help at the back, so they seized the opportunity and signed the France international to a deal that will allow him to join the San Siro outfit as early as January next year.

Valencia are left with possibly €7M for the transfer, but now they have a bigger issue as they need to fill the void left by Rami, who was arguably one of the better defenders on the team. Despite having Ricardo Costa and Mathieu as viable options, the team certainly needs another big name player to add depth and strength to the side, and four names are already being linked with the Mestalla outfit.

According to multiple sources, the first two names come from Liverpool. Both Sebastián Coates and Tiago Ilori could arrive on a loan deal to the Spanish side as neither has played during this season and The Reds are looking for them to get first-team experience. The Uruguayan has played 12 games in each of his two previous seasons, and due to the World Cup being fairly close, he would look to gain some minutes if he wants to participate in it.

Tiago Ilori, meanwhile, is a longer shot. The Portuguese defender arrived this year from Sporting Lisbon and despite being a talented player, he’s very raw and it wouldn’t be strange if Liverpool prefer a loan inside England so he can get used to the playing style of the Premier League.

Another name that has been thrown into the mix is Aston Villa‘s defender Carlos Cuéllar who, at age 32, is reportedly looking for a return to Spain and his experience in the Premier League gives him an important edge.

The big name on this list, however, is Roma‘s Nicolás Burdisso. The Argentinean hasn’t had minutes with the Serie A leaders this year and could look for a January move to maintain his chances of playing in the World Cup with Argentina. His experience and proven track record (stints at Boca Juniors and Inter Milan, World Cup experience, etc.) make him the best candidate available, although it remains to be seen if Valencia can meet Roma’s requirements to make a deal.

No decision has been made on any player yet, but one thing is certain: Valencia need to act quickly if they want to fill the void with a player of the same level as Rami.

Juan Pablo Aravena is a soccer writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @jparavenarant or add him to your network on Google

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