Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Victor Valdes, Aymeric Laporte Rumours

Victor Valdes’ relationship with Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has reportedly deteriorated to a remarkable status, with the Spanish goalkeeper no longer allowed to have a locker at the club’s training ground.  

The pair fell out over Valdes’ apparent refusal to play for the Red Devils' reserves earlier this year, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian. Van Gaal signing Sergio Romero and David De Gea staying at the club have pushed the former Barcelona man down the pecking order, and according to Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, the Dutchman has been uncompromising in his treatment of the 33-year-old:

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If the squad is training in the morning, Valdes is told to come in during the afternoon, or vice versa. More than once, the times have been switched for the first-team players and if it coincides with Valdes as he trains alone the former Barcelona goalkeeper is given a new time.

…when he turned up for pre-season training he discovered that his name-tag had been taken off his dressing-room locker and his belongings removed. Valdes was informed that he was not welcome to appear in the official team photograph and that he would be taking part in training with Alan Fettis, the academy goalkeeping coach. Valdes has been looking to leave Old Trafford ever since but his grievance is not with the club, simply with the manager.

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Valdes was set to move away from Old Trafford in the final embers of the summer transfer window, but a deal to Besiktas fell through, per Simon Stone of BBC Sport. He deputised for the injured De Gea on a couple of occasions for United late last season, but it now appears as though there is absolutely no way back for the World Cup winner.

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News summed up Valdes’ current standing at United:

It’s a shame the goalkeeper’s relationship has deteriorated so much, as he still has plenty to offer. At his best for Barcelona, not only was Valdes a superb shot-stopper, but he was a goalkeeper who could take command of his area and provide wonderful distribution from the base of the side. Whichever club he goes to next will have themselves a coup.

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Still, it seems as though with two quality goalkeeping options to call upon in De Gea and Romero, Van Gaal is making an example of Valdes. There will be few players who cross the manager moving forward as a result, although it’ll be intriguing to hear what the goalkeeper has to say when he does eventually get out of Old Trafford.

Aymeric Laporte Happy at Athletic Club

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Prodigious defender Aymeric Laporte has insisted he’s still happy with Athletic Club despite reports linking him with a move to Manchester United and Barcelona.

The 21-year-old emerged as one of La Liga’s finest defenders last season, so it’s understandable if some European juggernauts are taking a look at him. But the Frenchman told AS (h/t talkSPORT) he wants to sample more success with his current employers: “My name is mentioned in every transfer window and with a lot of teams. I've renewed four times with Athletic. I've done what I wanted, I've shown confidence in the club and them in me. Let's see if we can add more trophies.”

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Laporte is a massive talent. It’s rare to see the Frenchman careening across the pitch making last-ditch tackles, because his reading of the game is so good for one so young. Still, when he is in a physical battle, the centre-back relishes in regularly dominating aerially and shrugging burly attackers off of the ball.

It’s no surprise, as WhoScored.com note here, Laporte wins the ball back so often for his team:

United could definitely do with some defensive reinforcements. Chris Smalling and Daley Blind have forged a solid pairing at the back this season, but the clash against Arsenal recently, when the Red Devils were ripped apart in a 3-0 defeat, showed the need for an injection of class in this area of the field.

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Laporte would fit the bill, but he seems acute enough to realise a move doesn’t need to materialise quite yet. At the San Mames, he’s playing regular football in an exciting side and getting experience up against some of the best attackers anywhere in the game. He’s a young player who is destined for the top, but there’s absolutely no need to hurry what is a precarious process.