Yunus Musah has agreed a new six year contract at Valencia to cap off his remarkable rise to prominence in 2020.
Valencia announced new terms for the 18-year-old, which had long been in the pipeline after he burst onto the scene at the start of this season, just days after his birthday on November 29 with Musah saying that he is "convinced that I have found my place in the world.
"That's why everyone keeps talking about my ever-present smile," he said in a message to Valencia supporters. "We're going to keep smiling together for many years to come."
A source confirmed to CBS that Musah, who left Arsenal to join Los Che in 2019, has a release clause of $121million (€100million) in his contract.
Musah, who was born in New York City to Ghanaian parents and spent his childhood in Italy and London, made his senior debut for Valencia on September 13 and has swiftly established himself in head coach Javi Gracia's plans. Indeed the midfielder has started nine of Valencia's 11 La Liga games so far this season and scored his first goal in a 2-2 draw with Getafe.
Valencia CF: My place in the world 🏠🌍#AMUNTValencia 🦇#VCFMyPlaceInTheWorld ⚪️⚫️ pic.twitter.com/fAL5XAK7ul
— Valencia CF 🦇🍊🌊 (@valenciacf_en) December 4, 2020
In doing so he became the youngest non-Spanish player to score for Valencia at the age of 17 years and 338 days, breaking a record held by team-mate Lee Kang-in.
Musah's rapid rise just over a year after leaving Arsenal's Under-18 setup is no great surprise to Valencia, who beat the likes of Juventus to his signature by offering a clear path to their first team that he has swiftly progressed along.
Valencia academy director Sean Bai told CBS Sports last month: "Yunus has improved and developed by leaps and bounds. The exciting part is that there will be more to come.
"Yunus' footballing qualities are clear for all to see. More importantly, Yunus' positive attitude, adaptability and hunger made him a very good fit. This allowed him to settle into the club comfortably and also enabled him to get into the rhythm very quickly."
Musah has also made his senior international debut for the US national team, featuring in friendlies against Wales and Panama. He remains eligible for England, with whom he played at youth level, and has yet to commit to either nation.
