da bet esporte： The goalkeeping situation at Manchester United seems like it will drag across the course of the summer, even if it doesn’t have to. With David De Gea heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid to replace the dearly departed Iker Casillas, the No.1 jersey at the club seems to be ready. It is not hard to imagine Florentino Perez getting his man, despite the talk of a deal being off, in De Gea, he always does.
da realbet： A raft of different ‘keepers have been linked with United moves as a result, from Keylor Navas to Hugo Lloris, but they seem to have a ready-made solution in place already.
Yes, everyone appears to be forgetting a certain Victor Valdes. The former Barcelona stopper joined Louis van Gaal’s ranks on an official basis earlier this year as an understudy for Madrid bound De Gea and has been floating around in the background ever since. Left out of the club’s pre-season tour, it seems the Spain international is not at the forefront of Louis van Gaal’s plans, However, it is crucial he does not to write the World Cup winner off.
In the great Barcelona side led by Lionel Messi, the shot-stopper proved to be a vital component. After Van Gaal handed him his debut almost 12 years ago, Valdes tended the Barca goal a record number of times. Though the attacking players of Pep Guardiola’s side will often get the plaudits for their unparalleled success, it is important to remember they did not simply outscore the opposition while conceding goals in their droves. The pillar between the posts for perhaps the greatest club side in modern football history played his part.
His track record speaks for itself, with a host of records to boast about. He has won six La Liga titles, three Champions League trophies, two Club World Cup accolades and two Copa del Reys since making his Barcelona debut. On international duty he has picked up the 2010 World Cup title and won EURO 2012 with the Spanish national side. Not bad going.
However, it is not simply a case of being in the right place at the right time. Sure, playing in two of the best sides ever seen has helped, but the stopper has been no passenger. His haul of five Zamora (not named after Bobby, funnily enough) trophies, the award given to the best ‘keeper in Spain, is record-breaking. In a Champions League match against Rangers back in 2007, he again re-wrote the record books for the Catalan side – during that fixture, Valdes officially went 466 minutes since conceding a goal in Europe’s elite competition. Though football is a team game, and the La Liga giants are the ultimate example of that, the individual awards should be enough to warrant the man another chance.
A cruel injury cut short his La Liga career, and ruined a lucrative move to French outfit AS Monaco, which appeared to leave his playing time in tatters. Still, Manchester United must have taken him on board only seven months ago for a reason. With the Premier League side needing major defensive additions, replacing David De Gea does not have to become a saga. Valdes, at 33-years-old, has another few years in him, and United would be wise to move for perhaps a younger prospect to blood into the side slowly. Look what that did for their current No.1.
Valdes is a keeper, in more ways than one…