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No transfer deadline day is complete without a few surprises, and... well, this is a doozy.
Liverpool have lined up a move for Victor Valdes but are prepared to wait until the autumn in order for the free agent to prove his fitness.
— Tony Barrett (@TonyBarretTimes) September 1, 2014
We've known for awhile now that Liverpool have been seeking a better backup goalkeeper, and someone who could push Simon Mignolet to stay at the top of his game and push beyond. The most common rumor of late had been Sergio Romero of Sampdoria and the Argentina national side, but now in the last day or so this rumor of Valdes sprung up, and now it seems to be gaining a full head of steam.
In light of the ACL injury that ended Valdes' season with Barcelona (and ruined his dream of a Monaco transfer), waiting a bit before signing the 32 year old goalkeeper makes perfect sense. He likely wouldn't be needed until October anyways, as Liverpool would only face one Champions League and a couple of League Cup matches by then.
This one bears watching, though it certainly doesn't need to be resolved today as Valdes is unattached and available on a free transfer. Valdes taking what would presumably be a reserve role is a little odd, but the goalkeeper market has been pretty brutal this summer and he didn't have a lot of other options. It'll be interesting to see how things shake out if he does sign, because you can't imagine he'd go somewhere without a specific guarantee of a not-insignificant amount of playing time.
