Valdes doesn’t want to be kept in reserve

Manchester United goalkeeper Victor Valdes will be sold after manager Louis van Gaal claimed he “refused to play” in the reserves.

The 33-year-old Spain international was a surprise omission from the pre-season squad currently touring the US.

“He doesn’t follow my philosophy. There is no place for someone like that,” said Van Gaal of his January signing.

United’s number one David De Gea, 24, has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer.

The Old Trafford club will not consider selling De Gea, whose contract expires in 2016, unless they receive a record fee for a goalkeeper.

Editor’s Note: This could leave Manchester United very light in the Goalkeeping department if David De Gea does end up signing for Real Madrid. The only current options they have are Anders Lindegaard, who Louis Van Gaal did not pick once last season and is in the final year of his contract, and Sam Johnstone, a loan target for Preston, where he spent the second half of last year. Add to that Manchester United are running out of plausible targets in a good news/bad news situation for Spurs fans United had been heavily linked with Hugo Lloris, but the Tottenham keeper could miss the start of the season after fracturing his wrist. So although frustrating that Lloris may miss a few games it seems like the lesser of two evils as the other scenario would see him facing us in a United shirt on the first day of the season.

Manchester United have also missed out potential targets Petr Cech and Asmir Begovic who have signed for Arsenal & Chelsea respectively. The Red Devils are in discussions with free agent Sergio Romero after the 28-year-old Argentina international left Sampdoria last month. Also a deal for Ajax’s Jasper Cillessen – who started every match for Van Gaal’s Netherlands team at the 2014 World Cup – has also been suggested. But given the Valdes situation, is it possible Cillessen or Romero could be signed as a number two goalkeeper, rather than a number one?

So the Goalkeeper merry go round at Old Trafford seems set to have a fair few spins in it before now and the transfer window, the big question is who will be hopping on and who will hopping off?