MANCHESTER UNITED target Federico Valverde has signed a new contract with Real Madrid until 2027.
And the Spanish giants have slapped a whopping £856MILLION release clause on the Uruguayan midfielder in addition to giving him a significant pay rise, according to Goal.
The 23-year-old, who scored three goals and provided one assist in 38 games last season for Madrid, was already tied down until 2025.
But Carlo Ancelotti’s side were so keen to keep Valverde, they added an extra two years along with the hefty release clause to deter potential suitors such as United.
The Red Devils had been lining up the Valverde as a potential replacement for the want-away Paul Pogba.
BETTING SPECIAL – GET £50 IN FREE BETS WITH WILLIAM HILL
The Uruguay midfielder has been watched by the Red Devils on a number of occasions over the years, with scouts ramping up their efforts this season.
Valverde would be the ideal fit for United if Pogba left, as he has similar qualities to the Frenchman.
He’s also known for his excellent stamina and powerful box-to-box running along with his short passing game.
The Red Devils aren’t the only Premier League club that Valverde may have joined.
The ex-Deportivo La Coruna loanee revealed that he almost became an Arsenal player when Arsene Wenger was in charge.
Before Madrid swooped to land him from his local club Penarol for a paltry £4.5million in 2016, Valverde had been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates.
He told Real Madrid TV in 2019: “Arsenal asked about me when I was with Penarol, and I had travelled to practice with them.
“It was very small. Sharing training with Alexis Sanchez and the fact that he came to help me with the language was something very nice.”
FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN NEW CUSTOMER DEALS
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
