Monaco dismiss talk of signing Victor Valdes

Posted Friday, July 04, 2014 by Marca.com

Víctor Valdés will not be joining French side Monaco, as confirmed by the club's vice-president, Vladim Vasulyev: "We have negotiated with Valdés, but he's injured, he can't sign for us."

The former Barça goalkeeper tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee on 26th March during a match against Celta de Vigo. Following a successful operation in Germany, his recovery period was estimated to be seven months long.

The player, who announced his irreversible decision to leave Barcelona last season, now finds himself without a club. He stated that his departure from Barça was "in search of new motivation" rather than "for financial reasons". That did not deter 'Los Azulgranas' who pulled out all the stops in order to persuade Valdés to stay, even offering him a new contract after his serious injury.

The Catalan shot-stopper was a key member of the side that made history during the golden era. He was one of the heroes in the Champions League 2006 final in which a superb Barcelona comeback was needed to defeat 10-man Arsenal 2-1. Valdés boasts an impressive list of honours: 6 leagues, 3 Champions Leagues, 2 Copas del Rey, 6 Spanish Super Cups, 3 Club World Cups, 3 European Super Cups, 1 European Championship and 1 World Cup.

The Spaniard planned to add to his medal collection with big-spending Monaco, and a pre-contractual agreement had been in place for quite a few months, but his unfortunate knee injury has put paid to this plan. Valdés arrived in the Principality on Wednesday in order to undergo a medical, which he failed leaving him back at square one in the hunt for a new top-level club. Manchester City and Arsenal are rumoured to be interested in his signature.