Victor Valdes has organised a special dinner where his decision to leave in the summer became clear. Should Arsenal beat AS Monaco to his signature?
It has been public knowledge for a while now that Barcelona stopper Victor Valdes wants to leave the Catalan club this summer.
The 31-year-old goalkeeper has been at the Nou Camp since 1995 and has played 500 games for the club in that time.
But he feels the time is right to utilise his choice of career to see more of the world with a new and exciting challenge elsewhere.
In an interview with FourFourTwo magazine back in April he made it clear of his desire to sample the life of a Premier League custodian:
“I lived in an area of Tenerife where there were a lot of British people. I watched them go into football bars wearing their shirts in the middle of the day. I would see fans celebrating in the street in the middle of the day, dancing in the sun with beers. I like the Premier League, of course. They shoot a lot ‘shoot on goal’ – that’s what you say in English, no? I like the respect of the crowd towards footballers in England. It’s a different way of living football.”
Those remarks soon saw him linked with a move to Premier League clubs in need of a new goalkeeper; with Arsenal quite quickly becoming the favourites to sign him.
Valdes’ style of goalkeeping suits the Arsene Wenger footballing philosophy and with Wojciech Szczesny hardly cementing his place as the clubs number one this term the idea of the experienced goalkeeper arriving at £8.5 million was understandably tantalising.
While previously Barca have refused to confirm they will sell Valdes events this week make it almost certain he will leave this summer; rather than on a free transfer in 2014.
Reports Barca had confirmed Marc Andre Ter Stegen as his preferred replacement are one thing but the news that Valdes has in fact held a goodbye party is pretty iron clad.
Mundo Deportivo reports that Valdes invited all staff members at the club to farmhouse restaurant Can Ferran just 15 minutes from the city centre to announce his decision to leave. It even contained an emotional music video highlighting the best moments from his 11 seasons at the club.
It now appears Arsenal have the green light to go into battle with AS Monaco for the keeper who has won 20 titles during his time at the Catalan club and was five times recognised as the best goalkeeper in La Liga during his 11 year stint.
Do you think Valdes is a good option for Arsenal?
image: © Gerard Reyes
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