Victor Valdes made his first start for Manchester United against Hull City and demonstrated why he may well be an ideal replacement for David De Gea next season.
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United’s Number One De Gea has been heavily linked with the Old Trafford exit door this summer; the player appeared to say his farewells to the Red Devils fans last weekend during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal, according to the Daily Mail.
After that match—in which De Gea was injured and replaced by Valdes—Louis van Gaal admitted that it would be tough to keep hold of the talented stopper in light of interest in his services from Spain [via Sky Sports].
Over the last few months, De Gea’s future has been under the spotlight, with the keeper being heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid, according to Goal.
A litany of stoppers have been considered as potential replacements for De Gea.
The Daily Mail believe that Samir Handanovic is being considered by the Old Trafford hierarchy, while Paul Scholes recently urged van Gaal to sign Chelsea keeper Petr Cech [via the International Business Times].
Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic has also been linked to United, according to the Mirror, while Hugo Lloris remains a transfer target [via ESPN].
However, against Hull, Valdes demonstrated that he has the qualities to replace De Gea.
At 32, he may not be a long-term solution for van Gaal, but showed against the Tigers that neither his reflexes nor his agility have been affected by the injury that has cost him the best part of the current campaign.
The Spaniard delivered a series of world-class stops to keep the Tigers at bay and preserve a clean sheet.
Before moving to United in January 2015, Valdes enjoyed great success with both Barcelona and Spain; he won six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues in Catalonia, and lifted both the European Championships in 2012 and the World Cup in 2010 with Spain.