The Fans Football Blog3

Madrid sports paper Marca unconfirmedly claims that AC Milan is interested in Barcelona goalkeeper Víctor Valdés (27). Other media have meanwhile taken over the rumour.

The Italian club would have sounded out Valdés, whose contract with Barcelona expires in 2010, about the chances of joining them in the summer. Milan would like to let go Dida and Kalac at the end of the season and Valdés could become the new signing who will have to compete with Abbiati for the position of first goalkeeper.

Asked about the future of the Catalan goalkeeper, Barcelona president Joan Laporta said last week in an interview with Spanish radio station Radio Punto that the club wants to renew the contract of Valdés: "I know that Txiki Begiristain is already working on his renewal. It's a player I like a lot and he has everything to be the goalkeeper of Barça for many more years. He's the best goalkeeper in the Liga and I don't understand why he's not with the national team. People haven't been just towards him."

Earlier this month, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola gave his full support to Valdés at a press conference: "I have no doubts at all about him. Víctor is lucky to be mentally very strong, he can deal with criticism. My trust in him is that big that he can commit all the errors he wants. He has saved us many times and he will again do that again. You can discuss about a young coach like myself or about a player who's just arriving, but I don't understand that there's so much discussion about Víctor, who has been here for an eternity and who has given us so much."

Catalan sports paper Sport claims that the renewal negotiations with Valdés were put on hold last summer, when Barcelona sports vice-president Marc Ingla left the club which lead to a reorganization of the board. Barcelona plans to reopen the talks at the end of the season with a concrete offer until 2014.

Read more:
Valdes unaware of the club's renewal plans
Txiki talks about the summer transfer market
Barcelona speaking with Cech and Buffon