Victor Valdes relying on Manchester United to sanction January departure

Victor Valdes is still waiting for Manchester United to officially agree to allow him to leave the club during the January transfer window, the player's agent has confirmed. Valdes has been marginalised by Louis van Gaal this season after he refused to play for the club's reserve side during his first six months at Old Trafford.

Valdes made two appearances at the end of last term but the signing of Sergio Romero and the retention of his Spanish counterpart David De Gea on a new contract has seen him plummet down the pecking order. The 33-year-old was included in the club's Premier League squad for the new season but there is little prospect of him featuring again under Van Gaal.

The ex-Barcelona stopper was unable to force his way out of United last summer amid the uncertainty over the future of De Gea, who was on the verge of joining Real Madrid. Newcastle United, whose number one Tim Krul is out for the season with a knee problem, have been linked with a move for Valdes according to The Express, but the player's agent says he is still waiting to be told he can leave.

"We are relying on Manchester United letting Victor go," representative Gines Carvajal told Sport about Valdes' limbo. His current contract expires in the summer but he has been twiddling his thumbs for most of his stay at Old Trafford. "The Premier League is very attractive and Valdes want to stay because he has adapted perfectly to England, but we are not closing the door to any options. There are still two months until the transfer window opens and there is nothing concrete, but the intention is to leave Manchester United."

With De Gea seemingly on his way out of United, appearances against Arsenal and Hull City during the back end of last term had seemingly laid the foundations for Valdes to be the club's number one going into the new campaign. However, after he was omitted from the club's squad for the pre-season tour to the United States, Van Gaal launched a stinging attack on the 'keeper questioning his commitment.

"Valdes is not selected [for the tour] because he doesn't follow my philosophy. The philosophy is how you play football and how you maintain your match rhythm," said Van Gaal, as quoted by Goal. "He refused last year to play in the second team. There are a lot of other aspects in the philosophy how you have to play like a goalkeeper at Manchester United.

"When you are not willing [to apply] the principles of that philosophy there is only one way, and that is out. For us this is a big disappointment. We thought he would follow our philosophy. I want to help him so that he can show his qualities for another club. I am always a very social human being."