Fede Valverde latest: Premier League giants plan move for €1bn superstar

Federico Valverde has been a mainstay of the Real Madrid squad for years, yet he could soon find himself moving on, with interest building in a player who has found himself in the eye of a storm at the Bernabeu in recent days.

Valverde’s wife took to social media to criticise head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s use of her husband as he was taken off early during the 3-1 Champions League loss against AC Milan last week.

Although the 26-year-old Uruguay star was back in the starting XI for Saturday’s thumping 4-0 win over Osasuna, there is suddenly a question over his future at the club.

Now Manchester City are eyeing a potential move for the midfielder, with the €96 million-rated player a potential replacement for Rodri, who is set to miss the duration of the season with an ACL injury.

Fichajes reports that it is Valverde’s versatility that has attracted Guardiola towards a potential move for him.

Fuelling this has been a four-match losing streak for City – the worst in Guardiola’s impressive managerial career.

And now City are ready to strengthen their squad with a player they believe could be a long-term successor to Rodri, who has, of course, just won the Ballon d’Or.

Valverde in the form of his life

Unsurprisingly, Real Madrid are not so keen on the prospect of losing Valverde, who remains under contract until 2029 with the Bernabeu outfit.

This will make any deal virtually impossible to conclude. Valverde has a release clause worth €1 billion, and unless City take the unprecedented step of tabling such a bid, they will have to find an acceptable deal with Los Blancos.

Valverde vs Rodri: Skill Development (SciSports)

Valverde is currently at a career-high Estimated Transfer Valuation (ETV) of €96m, with data analytics company SciSports indicating that he would arrive at Etihad Stadium as the club’s fourth-strongest midfielder behind Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne.

The Real Madrid star, meanwhile, has the potential to become almost as strong as Rodri, the data experts indicate.