Victor Valdes to Manchester United: Latest Transfer Details, Reaction and More

Longtime Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes reached an agreement with Manchester United as he works toward full strength after a knee injury. His debut with the Red Devils will mark the first time he's played for a club other than Barca.

Manchester United's official Twitter feed provided details of the new deal:

Valdes spoke about joining the club for the first time since the transfer:

The team provides quotes from Louis van Gaal, who confirms Valdes is the No. 2 keeper for the club:

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I am delighted Victor has signed for the club. Victor is a very experienced goalkeeper and his record speaks for itself. I have said on many occasions that Manchester United will always be interested in the best players. Victor has remained very professional throughout his rehabilitation from injury and has been very impressive during his training sessions with the first team over the past weeks. He joins the club as the number two goalkeeper and is a great addition to the first team.

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Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News passes along Valdes' take on De Gea:

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I think now, in the moment, he is the best goalkeeper in the world," Valdes said of De Gea.

"His performance every day and in every game shows everybody that his level is very high. He has had a great year and it is very nice. Now I think he is the best goalkeeper in the world."

Valdes added he has joined United "to help everybody. Always in my career, I have played to help my team-mates, to help my coach and to help everybody.

"I am a part of the team and I am not a problem, I am just a part of the team. If I play a game, I am always thinking about playing well and to help the other team-mates, to help them to win the match.

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Valdes had been training with Manchester United since late October. It allowed him to work on getting back into match fitness while being watched by the club's medical staff. He previously played for Louis van Gaal during the manager's time at Barcelona.

The signing also comes after an agreement with Monaco fell through. In early July, the club's sporting director said the deal was off, as noted by Eurosport:

Valdes suffered an ACL tear in late March while playing with Barcelona. Sky Sports reported at the time that the initial timetable for his recovery following surgery would be seven months, but it's taken longer for Valdes to get back to 100 percent.

Not being able to finish his Barca career on a high note was a disappointment for the veteran keeper. It was one thing he mentioned in a farewell message posted on the club's official site after the decision was made for the two sides to part ways:

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The time has come for me to say goodbye to you all.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to say goodbye playing football, as I would have liked, but that's life at times, and this year has been a bit cruel to me in this regard.

I've had time to look at where I am and what I've become. I can only think about the people who helped me to get where I am today. I dedicate this letter to them.

"

Valdes made more than 530 appearances for Barcelona over 12 seasons. He was one of the most reliable and best all-around goalkeepers in Europe during that time. The stability he provided at the back was a key reason the club had so much success.

In all, Barca captured six La Liga championships, three Champions League titles and a pair of Copa del Rey triumphs, among other trophies, during his stay.

Now, his focus shifts to a new endeavor.

Valdes, who turns 33 this month, was in tremendous form before going down with the injury. Exactly how long it will take him to get back to that after an extended absence is very much a question mark. But it shows that he can still be a major asset moving forward.

Unlike other players who normally start to show signs of decline by this stage of their career, keepers tend to have a longer shelf life. So there's no reason to believe Valdes can't enjoy another resurgence in the years ahead once he gets back to full health.

Now that he's signed the deal, he can focus completely on getting back in action. There will be an urge to rush back after joining a new club, but the last thing he needs is a major setback. He's taken a conservative approach throughout the process, and it should benefit him over the long haul.

Valdes just has to hope the newest era of his career is anywhere near as successful as the last.