Chelsea and Liverpool are reportedly still interested in signing Real Madrid starlet Federico Valverde, who is having second thoughts about staying put at the Bernabeu despite extensive summer interest.
According to Fichajes, Chelsea and Liverpool have retained their interest in Federico Valverde. The Premier League duo were among the clubs interested in securing Real Madrid’s midfielder. But a move did not materialise this past summer.
Since joining Los Blancos from Penarol for just £4.3 million in 2016, the Uruguayan has notched 18 goals and 15 assists in 208 matches for the Merengues. Last season, Valverde scored 12 times in 56 appearances for Ancelotti’s side, helping Los Blancos win the Copa del Rey, Club World Cup, and UEFA Super Cup.
Having established a reputation as one of the world’s leading lynchpins, a move to a top-flight English club was unsurprisingly mooted for Valverde over the summer. Chelsea and Liverpool were believed to have shown a particular interest in signing the Uruguay international, while Manchester United were also said to be monitoring developments.
With Valverde under contract at the Bernabeu until 2027, all three teams feared being priced out of a move for the 25-year-old, who himself snubbed any outside interest and eventually stayed put.
However, Valverde now “half regrets having made this decision,” with the “best thing he could have done is to have packed his bags” in favour of a Premier League move this past summer. The Uruguay international was dropped by Carlo Ancelotti for their 2-1 victory over Getafe on Saturday, with Jude Bellingham scoring a late winner to continue their tremendous start to the season.
Valverde has reportedly acknowledged that he will not be an “undisputed starter” at Real Madrid this campaign. Fichajes suggests that despite being a key piece for Ancelotti, the Uruguayan midfielder is viewed as a high-value, saleable asset that could be expensed to balance the books and fund Kylian Mbappe’s arrival next summer, with the player continuing to draw attention from teams such as Liverpool or Chelsea.
The two Premier League giants have both made major changes to their midfield engine rooms this summer, with Liverpool, in particular, having a complete revamp in the middle of the park. The Reds have added Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo, and Ryan Gravenberch.
On the other hand, Chelsea signed Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Andrey Santos, with another youngster, Deivid Washington, also arriving from Santos on deadline day. So, the reports of their continued interest in Valverde should be taken with a pinch of salt, given both of them are well-stocked in the engine room.
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But being offered the chance to sign a world-class midfielder and grafter like Valverde could be too tempting to turn down as a firm statement of intent to their rival clubs. It will be interesting to see if either Chelsea or Liverpool make a move for the 25-year-old in the upcoming transfer windows.
