Federico Valverde, a Real Madrid midfielder, has stated categorically that he will never play for Barcelona.
The 23-year-old joined Los Blancos from Penarol in 2016 and has made 134 appearances for the Spanish club in all competitions, including 32 appearances in the 2021-22 season.
Valverde stated before of Sunday's El Clasico with Barcelona at the Bernabeu that he would never consider playing for their bitter rivals "out of respect" for his current club.
Valverde told El Larguero, "Real Madrid are exceptional; they transformed my life." "I'm from Penarol, but I've known since I arrived that I'm wearing the shirt of the best team on the planet. It comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility, but I like it.
"I would not play for Barcelona out of respect for Real Madrid and the ideals they instilled in me growing up. Out of gratitude for the badge that feeds me, gives me life, and provides me with affection, as well as the ideals instilled in me at home."
Valverde missed Real Madrid's 4-1 La Liga win over Real Sociedad earlier this month due to sickness, but returned to play the full 90 minutes in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain before playing 61 minutes in the league win against Mallorca on Monday night.