Boro’s Valdes is a big fan of Arsenal’s Sanchez.
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Victor Valdes has labelled Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez a special player as the two prepare to meet this weekend in an intriguing clash at the Emirates Stadium, mfc.co.uk report.
Valdes and Sanchez were teammates together for a brief time at Barcelona following the latter’s switch from Udinese and the Spanish goalkeeper got to see first-hand just how talented the Chilean forward is.
Despite netting 19 La Liga goals during the 2013-14 campaign, Barcelona deemed Sanchez surplus to requirements the following summer and were happy for him to join Arsenal.
Now a firm favourite at the Emirates Stadium, Valdes is not surprised to see his upcoming opponent thrive in North London as he warns his teammates of his talents ahead of this weekend’s encounter.
“Alexis is a special guy and a special player,” Valdes told the club’s official website. “He is very good in the last part of the pitch, hitting the target and finishing.”
“We must be in very good attention against him because he can be very dangerous. At Arsenal, he might be playing a different way [than at Barcelona] but now he is in a very good way and has shown the rest of the world he is one of the best.”
Sanchez has netted 33 Premier League goals in 73 appearances for Arsenal, and this season he has four in eight as Arsene Wenger looks to play him in a more central position.
Boro took five points from their opening three matches, but since then the Teesside club have managed just one point from their last five as they slip down towards the bottom three.
Arsenal are big favourites to pick up all three points from their clash this weekend, and Sanchez will back himself to get on the scoresheet as he looks to get one over his former Barca teammate.
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