Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has raved about Federico Valverde after his performance at right-back against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu, as Manchester United learn the mind-boggling fee that Los Blancos president Florentino Perez want the Old Trafford chiefs to pay for the star.
Valverde has been making the headlines in recent days for his comments about not being a right-back, with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur said to be interested in raiding Real Madrid for the Uruguay international midfielder.
After reiterating that he “wasn’t born to play right-back”, Valverde was left out of Madrid’s starting line-up against Kairat Almaty in the Champions League in midweek. There were also suggestions that the 27-year-old had refused to come on as a substitute in the match, something that Valverde vehemently denied on social media.
Both Man Utd and Tottenham have been linked with Valverde, who has been on the books of Madrid since 2016 and has won LaLiga thrice and the Champions League twice.
While Fichajes has claimed that Man Utd are ‘willing to make a significant offer, around €80million (£70m, $94m)’ for the Uruguayan, while Tottenham are also said to be ready to bid for Valverde.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal injured for the match against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday evening, Real Madrid manager Alonso deployed Valverde at right-back.
Los Blancos won the match 3-1 and went to the top of LaLiga table, with Valverde playing the entire 90 minutes with the captain’s armband.
The Uruguayan star gave a very solid performance, with Alonso praising him after the match and revealing that he has never complained.
Alonso is quoted as saying about Valverde on Madrid’s official website: “A very good match. He’s always willing to play wherever he’s needed and he had a great game defensively and offensively.
“A really good game and he helped the team a lot. We all saw how he played and he had a great game.
“Due to our needs, he played there and he’s always very generous with the team. He has a great attitude and likes to feel useful.
“That’s what we need and he’s never complained about it.”
Even Barcelona-centric Mundo Deportivo was impressed with Valverde and noted: ‘The Uruguayan was applauded and the fans chanted his name as he raced to regain position and clear the threat.
‘With more space from the right flank, Fede was able to fly.’
The report added: ‘Valverde was able to show off his physical prowess with the entire right flank to himself; Franco Mastantuono, playing as a winger on the same side, was brought into the middle.
‘He was the first to retreat and read the coverage well against a Villarreal team that threatened to open up, with quick attacking players, and never lost face in the game, even when they were two goals down.
‘And in one of these moments, Fede received a standing ovation and his name was chanted by the crowd.’
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Real Madrid stance on selling Federico Valverde to Man Utd or Tottenham
Defensa Central, a Real Madrid-centric news outlet, also praised Valverde and noted: ‘He was back in action, and after all the controversy, he was playing at right back.
‘He was overshadowed by Mastantuono during the first half. He became more flexible when he advanced in the second half.’
Football Espana gave the Uruguayan 7 out of 10 in their Player Ratings and observed: ‘Much has been made of Valverde’s willingness, or lack there of, to play at right-back, but he was solid there against Villarreal.’
Valverde got 8.5 out of 10 from Managing Madrid, who write: ‘Played right-back – and, naturally, after saying he wasn’t born to play there, he looked born to play there.
‘Tremendous defensively, relentless work rate, and delivered quality balls into the box. Should’ve had an assist for one of his passes to Bellingham late on.’
Valverde’s performance against Villarreal will have surely encouraged Man Utd in their quest to sign him, but Defensa Central has revealed the record-breaking transfer fee that Madrid want for him.
Having reported earlier this week that Madrid will not sell Valverde to Man Utd or Tottenham for even €80million (£70m, $94m), the news outlet has now revealed that Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has taken an ‘unequivocal’ stance on his future.
Madrid will only sell Valverde for his release clause of €1billion (£871.5m, $1.07bn, which would make him the most expensive footballer of all time.
Defensa Central has added that Valverde is ‘very happy at Real Madrid and wants to make history at the club’.
This comes after TEAMtalk’s transfer insider, Dean Jones, reported on September 22 that Valverde does not want to leave Real Madrid for Man Utd.
Jones said: “There feels pretty much no chance United will sign Valverde – even as the noise grows that they want to.
“That’s the message I’m getting from people close to the Spanish end of this story and it’s not really surprising.
“He’s been around the club for almost 10 years now and has become a brilliant, crucial and adaptable player for them.
“There is no need for him to drop down a level to join Man United, and that’s truly what it would be.
“His profile would be great for United, but it just seems too ambitious to me.
“The clubs may be on a similar level in terms of global status, but Madrid’s current team is in a much better place than United’s and he is a key part of it.”
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