Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has backed midfield star Federico Valverde to be as good as Steven Gerrard was for Liverpool, even claiming that the Uruguayan has all of the skills and talent required to surpass the Englishman’s legacy.
Earlier this week, veteran striker Luis Suarez had revealed to Spanish press that Valverde reminded him of his former captain, claiming that he had made the comparison as early as 2017, when Valverde was on loan at Deportivo La Coruna.
“There are newspaper archives, back in 2017, when Fede made his debut in the national team, I already said that he reminded me of Steven Gerrard, who was a teammate of mine at Liverpool”, the ex-Barcelona man told Marca.
‘I don’t want to compare, but the characteristics are similar. I saw Fede coming and he has made great progress, surrounded by great stars. It did him a lot of good.’
And, quizzed on the comparisons ahead of his side’s La Liga clash with Osasuna, Ancelotti agreed with the former Liverpool hitman, before revealing that he felt Valverde could even surpass the Englishman.
“He has many things from Gerrard, it’s very good for him to be compared to a player who had this success. Federico has everything to reach his level, and even more” he told the media.
Often deployed on the right-hand side of Ancelotti’s lopsided 4-3-3 system, Valverde’s versatility may be required going forwards too, with reports suggesting that Los Blancos want to add Jude Bellingham to their midfield, which already consists of young superstars Aurelian Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga.
They will go head-to-head with Liverpool for the Englishman’s signature, with Bellingham expected to leave Dortmund this summer.
