United will fight to keep De Gea despite Valdes deal
LONDON: Manchester United are determined to hold on to goalkeeper David de Gea, despite agreeing an 18-month contract with the former Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes last night.
United are set to announce that the 32-year-old has signed on at Old Trafford as understudy to De Gea, having been convinced that Valdes – who has not played since sustaining a serious knee injury just over nine months ago – is not a longterm medical risk.
But though the decision to sign him until 2017 will create doubts about De Gea, who has only 18 months left on his contract, the prospect of Real Madrid bringing the 24-yearold back to Spain this summer is not thought to be substantial.
Valdes is considered to have the stature to provide the kind of genuine competition for De Gea, which current deputy Anders Lindegaard is not offering.
United’s manager, Louis van Gaal, does not consider Lindegaard to be good enough and United have anticipated since the autumn that the Dane would leave Old Trafford this month during the transfer window.
They also seem ready to let third-choice keeper Ben Amos leave if another club come in for him. Amos was criticised by Van Gaal for letting in Miralem Pjanic’s 60-yard lob against Roma in a pre-season friendly. The only other goalkeeping option is 21-year-old Sam Johnstone, who is on loan at Doncaster Rovers.
United are relaxed about De Gea’s future after a first half to the season in which he has established himself as the top goal- keeper in the Premier League, and have been more focused on offloading surplus squad members in the past month. Anderson is another player United are anxious to get off the payroll, while winger Adnan Januzaj may leave on loan to Paris SaintGermain.
The decision to register Valdes and take him on to the books comes after a two-month analysis of his fitness by United. Their conviction that he does have a future with them will compound the frustration of Liverpool, who must now rue their indecision over him.
It is thought the Anfield club wanted to take Valdes on trial. Their indifference is believed to have contributed to an uncertainty on his part about heading for Merseyside.
Valdes, who suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage in his knee during a La Liga match for Barcelona against Celta Vigo last March, is living at the five-star Lowry Hotel in Manchester city centre, but is thought to be looking for a property in the area. – The Independent