Hopefully for Victor Valdes and Middlesbrough, there will come a point mid way through next season when it’s asked why other clubs hadn’t been interested in Victor Valdes over the past few years.
According to Spain’s El Confidencial, at that point Arsene Wenger will once again be able to talk about a player he almost signed. This isn’t back when Valdes was a youngster, as most of Wenger’s ‘almost deals’ are, but the summer before the goalkeeper’s last season at Barcelona.
Valdes had wanted to leave, and had a good offer from Arsenal, but El Confidencial explain that because his byohood club were asking for a fee, he wouldn’t have earned the wages he’d expected, and so stayed where he was.
When Barcelona offered Valdes an extension, it’s claimed he even refused to turn over the piece of paper to look at the amount, something Andoni Zubizarreta was annoyed about, seeing it as disrespectful to the club.
Then followed Valdes agreeing terms with AS Monaco, a serious knee injury, Monaco pulling out, Valdes eventually signing for Manchester United, him falling out with Louis van Gaal again, and then having a mixed time on loan in Belgium.
Now it’s a chance for career rebuilding at Middlesbrough.
