“A reincarnation of Steven Gerrard” - What Real Madrid scouts reportedly felt about midfielder before signing him

Real Madrid scouts were reportedly left awestruck watching Uruguayan midfielder Federico Valverde on the pitch during his time at Penarol. They drew comparisons between his style of play and that of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

As per Transfer Sector, the scouts are believed to have noted:

"Valverde was something else. He was already a reincarnation of Steven Gerrard from a very young age."

Valverde moved from Penarol to RM Castilla, Real Madrid's youth team, for a reported fee of €5 million in 2016. A loan to Deportivo La Coruna in the 2017-18 season provided him much-needed first-team game time. Valverde returned to the Santiago Bernabeu and impressed then-manager Julen Lopetegui, establishing himself as a solid squad player.

He made his official Real Madrid debut at age 20 in the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen in October 2018. However, it was the following season that saw him break through, as Zinedine Zidane took over the reins at Real.

Valverde has many attributes comparable to Steven Gerrard, with his footballing IQ being particularly notable. It was evident in their Supercopa de Espana final against Atletico Madrid in January 2020. With the game tied at 0-0, Valverde tackled Alvaro Morata in the 115th minute.

Los Blancos won the ensuing penalty shootout and Valverde was named man of the match for this insanely shrewd play despite being sent off.

Overall, Valverde has appeared in 231 games across all competitions for the Merengues, bagging 19 goals and 18 assists. He has won one Champions League, two La Liga titles, and a Spanish Super Cup among other trophies at the club.

He is an extremely versatile player, having been deployed all across the midfield and also as a right winger and right back. He has an unbelievable work rate, covering incredible distances across the pitch. All of these attributes truly justify his comparisons to Liverpool icon Gerrard, and at 25 years of age, Valverde has the opportunity to surpass the Englishman as well.

In November 2023, Valverde signed a contract extension keeping him at the Santiago Bernabeu till the end of the 2028-29 season. Already one of the best midfielders in the world, Valverde has the potential to go down as one of the best Real Madrid players of all time.

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Dani Carvajal named MOTM in Real Madrid's Spanish Super Cup semifinal win

Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal was named the Man of the Match in their win against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal on January 10. Los Blancos beat their city rivals 5-3 in extra time at the Al-Awwal Stadium.

Carvajal, a Real Madrid academy graduate, only spent one season away from the club at Bayer Leverkusen. He has been a vital part of the squad since his 2013 return, making 394 appearances and bagging 10 goals and 62 assists.

Carvajal assisted Ferland Mendy for the goal to put his side up 2-1 against Atletico, but the latter fought back to lead 3-2. In the 85th minute however, after a flurry of rebounds, Carvajal put the ball in the back of the net to force extra time. In extra time, he turned provider again, this time for Joselu, as the Merengues sealed the tie 5-3.

They will now face either Barcelona or Osasuna in the final, which will be played on Sunday, January 14.