Valdes vs Van Gaal: Round two

LONDON: Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes escalated his dispute with manager Louis Van Gaal yesterday by posting pictures of himself with the club’s Under-21 team, which Van Gaal had accused him of refusing to play for.

Valdes was left out of United’s tour to the United States and told to leave the club because “last season he refused to play in the second team”, the manager told reporters in Seattle.

But Valdes, who signed an 18-month contract with United in January, responded with a post on Twitter including mention of three Under-21 games and a picture of himself in the dressing-room with the message “...? #respect”

It is not the first time the pair have clashed. When they worked together at Barcelona in 2002, Valdes declined to play in a reserve game after being dropped and was fined.

Now his future is in doubt, just as United face renewed interest from Real Madrid in signing David de Gea.

Meanwhile, Van Gaal has done little to dampen speculation that winger Angel Di Maria could leave the club, a year after moving to Old Trafford.

British media have reported that Di Maria, who joined United for £59.7 million last year, is a target for French club Paris Saint Germain and that his wife is unhappy living in the northwest of England.

Van Gaal was unsure if he would stay. “We shall see,” he said when asked whether he expected Di Maria to be with the club next season.

“In football it’s a process and I have said that many times. It’s not clear in one day. For now he’s still a member of United and he has told me he shall come on 25 July.” Di Maria played for Argentina in the recently completed Copa America and was given permission to join the club’s tour of North America later this month. – Reuters