Manchester United’s search for a permanent successor to Edwin Van Der Sar might be over soon, as reports in the English media have revealed the club’s interest in signing the Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes.
The 31-year old, Valdes, recently stated his plans to move out of Barcelona and given the unsettled circumstances around the goalkeeping position at Old Trafford at present, United are firmly in there with an interest for the Spaniard.
For all the hype around the signing of then 21-year old David De Gea last season, the outcome has been quite disappointing. The gangly keeper has been persistently found wanting to collect high balls in a composed manner.
His errors in a handful of matches last season cost United dear when arch-rivals Manchester City got the better of them only by a superior goal difference in the Premier League.
De Gea’s shot-stopping qualities and positional instinct suggests that he is a keeper to look out for in the future, but he is hardly the finished product at the moment. It also does not help that the keeper is not strongly built and hence has often been crowded out in a goalmouth melee.
All that, and the technical inadequacy of the present number two Anders Lindegaard has led to Sir Alex Ferguson looking for a ready-made option to don the keeping gloves and whom better than the experienced Valdes.
Valdes has a wealth of experience with 350 La Liga appearances for Barcelona and many high-pressure fixtures in the Champions League. Valdes has been underappreciated in his present role due to the sheer technical brilliance of the Barca midfield and attacking line.
But the fact that he has been a regular starter at the club for the last ten years underlines the trust that arguably the best team in Spain or Europe puts in him.
The twin virtues of superior technique and experience make Victor Valdes a good candidate to end Manchester United’s goalkeeping woes and Sir Alex Ferguson would sooner or later initiate talks with the player and Barcelona.
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