da aviator aposta： Louis Van Gaal recently stated that Victor Valdes signed for Manchester United to be their number one goalkeeper. However, with David De Gea ahead of the former Barcelona keeper, it looks very unlikely that Valdes will become United’s number one with De Gea still at the Premier League club.
da prosport bet： Valdes has enjoyed a glittering career so far, rising from the youth ranks at Barcelona to be a first-teamer for 12 years before finally ending his association with the club last summer. With 20 international appearances for Spain, there is no doubting the talent of the former Barcelona goalkeeper. However, if he wants to dislodge the incredibly impressive David De Gea in the near future, he’s going to need a bit of luck on his side.
United’s 24-year-old number one has proved he really was worth the £18million transfer fee that saw him arrive from Atletico Madrid in 2011. After a number of fine performances this season, most notably against Everton and Liverpool, De Gea has often won games on his own. In a way, the leaky defence at Old Trafford this year has exposed David De Gea, and he has proved exactly what he is capable of.
Louis Van Gaal has made a good signing in the form of Victor Valdes but it will be interesting to see how long the goalkeeper will be able to cope with watching games from the dugout. De Gea’s form shows no sign of slowing down and it is rumoured that the young Spaniard will be offered a bumper contract to keep him at the club amidst interest from Real Madrid, as reported in the Metro.
If De Gea does leave for Real, United already have an experienced goalkeeper to replace him. Although that may be the case, Louis Van Gaal will still be desperate to keep hold of one of his star performers this season.
It is expected that Victor Valdes will get his chance in the FA Cup as it is not Manchester United’s priority this season. However, Van Gaal will likely choose to stick with De Gea for the Premier League fixtures, limiting Valdes’ opportunities.
Although on-field minutes may be few and far between for Valdes, there is still hope for the ex-Barcelona man. Top Premier League clubs increasingly now have two quality goalkeepers in their sides.
For example, Petr Cech was given a start against Newcastle United despite the fact that Thibaut Courtois was 100% match fit. It’s a similar story in the blue half of Manchester, where Pellegrini likes to rotate both Joe Hart and Willy Caballero in order to maintain healthy competition. Arsene Wenger has also adopted the same approach, with David Ospina replacing the faltering Wojciech Szczesny for Arsenal’s home game against Stoke City at the weekend.
Valdes has been brought in to provide some competition for the number one spot at Old Trafford. It’s an excellent move by the manager as competition for places will get the best out of De Gea.
If United qualify for the Champions League next season, it is always important to have a quality goalkeeper in reserve and Valdes provides that. He may not want to be the number two at Manchester United, but Van Gaal has made a shrewd signing in bringing the free agent to Old Trafford, adding further strength in depth to a squad that is starting to take some shape.
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