14 May 2026 08:08 BST |
5 min read
Manchester United are planning to bid for Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde following the Uruguay international’s fall from grace at the Bernabeu.
Valverde hit the headlines last weekend as he was hospitalised with a traumatic brain injury following a training ground clash with fellow midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni as Real Madrid’s internal crisis hit a new level.
United are ready to take advantage of the situation by making a bid for the 27-year-old, according to The Mirror.
Federico Valverde to Man Utd
Old Trafford chiefs are exploring the possibility of bidding for Valverde in the wake of his bust-up behind the scenes at Real Madrid.
United are on the lookout for at least two central midfielders this summer, and while they have a long list of possibilities, Valverde was not initially among those players considered. However, the current situation at Los Blancos has prompted the club to reassess the situation and they are now “weighing up” the possibility of a move.
Real Madrid’s transfer stance
Real Madrid would likely have been against selling one of their captains prior to the Tchouameni incident, despite the fact that he had clashed with previous manager Xabi Alonso over being used as a right-back.
Now the situation has changed. According to the report from England, Los Blancos are ‘furious’ with the versatile player and are open to selling him.
On top of this, the dressing room has rallied around Tchouameni and is ready to back the France international over Valverde, who they want to be sold.
Valverde, meanwhile, has previously intimated that he does not want to leave Real Madrid. Under contract until 2029, there is nothing compelling him to depart.
He has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €111 million, making him the 12th most valuable player in the world and Real Madrid’s third most valuable player behind Kylian Mbappe (€129m) and Jude Bellingham (€125m).
Even if his recent unrest means that €100m+ figure may be negotiable from Man Utd’s perspective, it will take a huge investment to sign him.
Is he a good fit for Man Utd?
Man Utd would be a reasonable fit for Valverde, according to data analytics experts SciSports, who judge transfers based on a wide variety of metrics, including potential development, game time, playing style and formation. It then generates a Club Fit score, with the higher the figure the higher the likelihood of the move being a success.
United score 69 based on SciSports’ analysis. While they rank lowly for development, they are the highest rated club with five stars when it comes to playing time. There are concerns over style and formation, but these can be addressed by the permanent manager when they are appointed.
Arsenal are shown as the optimal move for Valverde with a Club Fit of 77, but given the Gunners only get three stars in terms of playing time, it is doubtful that he would want to move to the Emirates.
Verdict: Valverde fee doesn’t make sense for United
Valverde is clearly unsettled at Real Madrid, and it’s easy to see why senior figures would be unhappy with his attitude over the course of the last season.
But United are unlikely to splash out the type of money required to sign him given their need for several additions across the team.
It may well be that the Old Trafford side spend big on a central midfielder, but the likes of Elliot Anderson or Adam Wharton look a likelier age profile. Valverde will be 28 by the time the new season begins, and it would be logical for the Red Devils to be looking at pouring their money on a marquee summer signing into a player coming into their peak years.
Related stories:
Real Madrid eye €80m agreement ahead of Jose Mourinho return
Fabrizio Romano Transfer News: Carrick to stay, operation Mourinho, Chelsea manager race
Transfer Rumours: Man Utd chase Bellingham as €50m Chelsea demand revealed
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers’ new app for all of football’s big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
•Google Play
•App Store
