One of the names of the season at Real Madrid has undoubtedly been that of Fede Valverde, more discreet in recent weeks. The player has been defined as a true all-rounder and he has demonstrated this this season where he has had to play in different positions offering outstanding performance in all of them.
The player has become indispensable to Ancelotti, being one of the squad members with the most minutes in his legs, which has taken its toll at some point during the season, with him having to take ‘forced’ rest in order to be available for important matches.
A new role
This season Valverde has had to play right back: the absence until next season of Dani Carvajal, and Lucas Vázquez’s muscle problems, as well as his poor performance, have led Ancelotti to put the Uruguayan on the right wing, and the result has been extraordinary.
The former Real Madrid captain had already played in that position against Manchester City, but this time the opposition was at the highest level. However, Valverde played as if he had been playing in that position all his life, and he was also able to help in midfield given the physical power he demonstrated during the game.
Worthy heir to the number 8
Valverde has become a leader, but to get there he has had to fight for every minute he has played. The Uruguayan has become an all-rounder who leads his team from any position and does so with a low profile, but a crucial one. A low profile reminiscent of Toni Kroos, who named him his successor at Cibeles during the celebration of the ‘Fifteenth’. Valverde inherited the number 8 shirt worn by the German during his time at Madrid to honor him.
The Uruguayan player is a sponge, Ancelotti’s joker. Capable of playing in any position without complaint and offering a great performance. “I am willing to do whatever the team and the coach want. I try to give my all in the position I am asked to play and I think that also helps one to learn, to open one’s mind to new ideas and to continue learning more things,” he says.
Carlo Ancelotti, coach of Real Madrid, praised the Uruguayan Fede Valverde, of whom he said he is “the most complete player in football”. “Fede is a complete and very important player. He can cover many positions and he does it perfectly in all of them. It is very difficult to find a right back like him. For me it is complicated to see the best position for the team in each game. It may be that in one game we need him more as a full-back and in another as a midfielder,“ he said.
“I make the choice, the player is always available. He never asks me for anything. It is his strength to surely be the most complete player in football because he can cover all the possible positions very well. He could also play as a center back without any problem,” he added.
A million-dollar offer
The great season that the Real Madrid player is having has awakened interest in the market. Manchester United is determined to reinforce its midfield for next season and has identified Federico Valverde as a key addition to its new project under the direction of Ruben Amorim.
The English club is preparing a bid of 100 million euros to Real Madrid to sign the 26-year-old Uruguayan midfielder. However, Real Madrid is in no hurry to sell. With a contract until 2029 and a crucial role in Ancelotti’s squad, the white club will not facilitate his departure.