Manchester United is open to transfer talks regarding defender Marcos Rojo and goalkeeper Victor Valdes, according to Bleacher Report.
Originally, the Red Devils had zero intention of sending Rojo away, however, reports from The Mirror indicate the lack of favor manager Louis Van Gaal has for Rojo. In the soccer world, when the manager does not favor a player, it does not take long for transfer talks to start.
Zenit St. Petersberg appears to be the most interested in Rojo at this time, but no official move could happen until January when the transfer window opens again. Over the summer, Real Madrid was one rumored destination for Rojo, however, the two clubs could not work out a deal. United and Madrid were focused on the dealings of goalkeeper David De Gea and we all know how that saga unfolded.
The rumors of Rojo leaving are surprising, especially witih United needing to retain as much defensive help as possible. Without Rojo, the club is down to just two true center backs, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. United must secure more defensive help in January, and letting Rojo walk would be a mistake the club would not live down for some time.
Goalkeeper Valdes for the Red Devils is third on the depth chart and is continually butting heads with Van Gaal. Reports are coming out of Spain that Sevilla is the latest club interested in signing him in January, according to Sport Witness. United already has De Gea and Sergio Romero fighting for starting time, leaving Valdes warming the bench. A move away from United and back to Spain is a smart idea for the aging goalkeeper.
Fans of Valdes know his impact on La Liga soccer, especially after his time playing for Barcelona. On the international stage, the amount of playing time for Spain has never come for Valdes. Spain is one country that always has great goalkeepers and Iker Casillas has commanded the net for most of Valdes' playing career. Moving to Sevilla could open a small window for Valdes to creep back into the starting XI for Spain. However, with De Gea also playing for Spain, there is hardly a chance of Valdes seeing any real playing time on the international level.
