REAL MADRID
Valverde commits to Real Madrid: details of his new deal
The Uruguayan follows in the footsteps of team mates Vinicius, Rodrygo and Camavinga by extending his contract with Real Madrid.
Fede Valverde became the fourth player to extend his contract with Real Madrid during the last two weeks. With Vinicius, Rodrygo and Camavinga all striking new deals with the club, the Uruguayan is the latest to extend his relationship with Madrid - signing until June 2028 with a new, hands-off termination clause of 1,000 million euros.
The 25-year-old joined Madrid from Peñarol in May 2015 for just five million euros. An absolute steal when you consider the player he has turned into. His progression has been exactly how Real Madrid hoped - from his first season alongside ∅degaard, Achraf and Reguilón with Castilla to a successful loan stint with Deportivo, who he joined in the summer of 2017 to gain experience in Spanish football. It was in La Coruña where he suffered a serious knee injury that kept him sidelined for two months.
The man behind his arrival in the capital was Juni Calafat, then head of international football. He recommended that José Ángel Sánchez should sign a promising young midfielder with boundless energy and quality that he has seen in action with Uruguay’s Under-17 side - of which he was the captain. At the time, Valverde almost an an agreement in place with Arsenal, but Madrid just pipped them to him. His journey has been exceptional, and seen him being known as El Pajarito (The Little Bird) to El Halcón (The Falcon). He is now a key starter in Ancelotti’s midfield after having proved himself during his probation period as a sub. And he wears the captain’s armband with Uruguay, with whom he has over half a century of caps
Valverde’s fortunes started to change as he began to mature as a player - learning from older team mates like Modric, Kroos and Casemiro - and listening to advice from his wife, Mina Bonino, his parents and his friends. Soon, he won the trust of Uruguay coach., Diego Alonso. It was during the 2019-20 campaign when El Pajarito took flight - in that campaign he played 44 games with Real Madrid across all competitions. We had already witness a player capable of breaking down rival lines, chipping in to help Casemiro defend the centre of the part and reaching the final third with ease. The only aspect of his game that was lacking was scoring goals, and that penalized him to a degree.
It was Carlo Ancelotti who helped him to overcome issues with his finishing and fine-tune his technique. The Italian coach, a legendary midfielder in the 1980s, helped him improve significantly. He began by fielding him on the right wing, giving him total freedom to attack - as long as he dropped to help out defensively. It all started coming together in the 2022-23 season: he finished on 12 goals in 56 games - most of them shots from outside the area. He was the third player with the most games played in that campaign. He did also suffer a setback (physical and psychological) after the World Cup in Qatar, now resolved and forgotten about.
Last Sunday, against Rayo, he played his 150th league match for Madrid and celebrated the landmark with enviable numbers: 102 wins, 30 draws and only 18 defeats. In total, he has made 220 appearances for the club and scored 19 goals. His honors list is equally impressive - two LaLiga titles, one Champions League, one Copa del Rey, two Club World Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and two Spanish Super Cups.
His great wish is to captain Real Madrid and with Modric and Kroos nearing the end of their careers, his dream could be realized in the not too distant future.
With Valverde’s renewal, just Militão remains. Madrid hope to have the centre-back tied down soon to ensure the backbone of the team is intact for many seasons.