Barcelona Boss Ernesto Valverde Expects Goalkeeper to Remain at Nou Camp Amid Transfer Talk
Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has offered his own opinion on the future of goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen, saying that the club fully expect the Dutchman to remain at the club this summer.
Cillessen has made just two appearances in La Liga since completing a move to the Catalan giants from Ajax in 2016, with the 29-year-old utilised as little more than a backup to first-choice Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
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However, despite reports linking the Dutchman with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, it seems Barcelona don't expect their man to go anywhere this summer.
Speaking to Barcelona's official website, Valverde said: “I can’t imagine any other situation than him being here. He’s a player we are expecting to have. He’s a great goalkeeper and a great professional.”
The Dutch goalkeeper made a name for himself in the Eredivisie playing for Ajax, where he made over 100 appearances in five years at the Amsterdam club.
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Cillessen also represented the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup, though he was famously substituted for Tim Krul ahead of a penalty shootout against Costa Rica by manager Louis Van Gaal.
Possible suitors Chelsea are looking for a potential replacement for Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, with the 26-year-old believed to be on the verge of completing a move to Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Barca have been linked with a surprise move for Liverpool stopper Simon Mignolet should Cillessen leave the club, though this statement from Valverde appears to put an end to any suggestion that the Barcelona man will leave the club this summer.
