Manchester United have confirmed that Victor Valdes has been given the chance to complete his rehabilitation from a serious knee injury at the club.
The 32-year-old tore cruciate knee ligaments back in March, at which time he had already announced that he would be leaving Barcelona when his contract expired that summer. He has since been without a club as he looks to regain full fitness, and he will now get the chance to complete his recovery after Louis van Gaal offered him opportunity to train with the Old Trafford club.
The Dutch coach handed Valdes his debut as a 20-year-old when they were both at the Camp Nou, so they already know each other well. The Premier League giants confirmed that the goalkeeper was heading to Manchester, stating on their official club website: “Valdes will have his recovery supervised by the medical staff before training with the first team, as he bids to regain full fitness.”
Valdes, who won six La Liga titles and three UEFA Champions Leagues during his long association with Barca, had been linked with a move to Liverpool who are having doubts over Simon Mignolet, their current number one. And whilst there is nothing to stop Brendan Rodgers making a move for the free agent should he wish to, this latest development would raise doubts over such a deal.
It remains to be seen exactly what United’s full intentions are, though. They would loathe to get the Spanish international back to full fitness only to see him join a rival club, but at the same time, there is little chance he would displace compatriot David de Gea from the starting XI. One option could be a short-term deal for the remainder of the season, in which he would move ahead of Anders Lindegaard in the pecking order, which would give him the opportunity to prove he is over his injury problem whilst looking for a longer-term solution ahead of the 2015-16 campaign.
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