Federico Valverde 'transfer listed' as Man Utd handed 'genius' swap deal possibility

Manchester United could be handed the possibility of an unthinkable swap deal as reports have suggested Jose Mourinho wants to sell Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde.

Since replacing Alvaro Arbeloa at the Santiago Bernabeu in June, Mourinho has welcomed several new players, with Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate arriving from Premier League sides Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool, while Denzel Dumfries signed from Serie A giants Inter.

More changes to Real Madrid’s squad are expected before the 2026/27 La Liga season commences, with Spanish outlet El Nacional reporting that Mourinho would be open to selling Valverde, who is under contract until 2029, as the club “no longer considers him completely untouchable”.

The Portuguese manager reportedly wants to rebuild Real’s midfield and does not believe the Uruguayan fits the profile that is required.

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It is understood that a sale of Valverde could help fund Real’s pursuit of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

Although in June, Real released a statement claiming they had not had any direct contact with Bayern over the potential transfer of Olise.

“In light of the information published in various media outlets regarding an alleged interest of our club in Bayern Munich player Michael Olise, Real Madrid C. F. wishes to clarify that it has not had any direct or indirect contact with the aforementioned footballer, his representatives, or individuals in his circle,” a statement published on Real’s website read.

“Real Madrid also wishes to highlight the excellent institutional relationship it maintains with Bayern Munich, with whom it shares a long history of mutual respect, collaboration and admiration, and regrets the dissemination of speculation that does not correspond to reality.

“Both clubs have always maintained a relationship based on trust and mutual respect, which is reflected, among other aspects, in the shared conviction that any potential interest in a player belonging to the other club must be addressed first between the entities themselves, in accordance with the principles of institutional loyalty that have historically governed relations between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.”

Potential Valverde swap deal emerges

And while a deal for Olise using funds from a potential sale of Valverde at this time appears unlikely, there is still a possibility that he could be used as part of a swap deal.

Manchester United have been linked with interest in Valverde for some time and are in the market for a second midfielder, having already signed Ederson from Atalanta earlier this summer.

United were also keen on Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali; however, their rivals Manchester City secured the England man’s signature, while the latter two both penned deals with Spurs.

On July 4, Spanish outlet Fichajes reported that Real are keeping tabs on United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo despite the England man extending his contract through to 2031 in April.

The outlet reported: “Real Madrid has continued to explore options for the midfield. The internal feeling is that, sooner or later, they will need to bring in a young, physical player with the potential to develop within La Liga. On that list, the Englishman appears as an option for both the present and, above all, the future.”

Given Real’s interest in Mainoo and United’s interest in Valverde, this creates the possibility that a swap deal could be proposed, although it is unclear whether this is something either club would consider at this time.

During Ruben Amorim’s time at Manchester United, Mainoo was hardly used before being given a greater role under Michael Carrick, and it was widely reported that he was seeking a move abroad.