The 27-year-old found himself at the centre of a damaging episode earlier this season when a training ground altercation with France international Aurélien Tchouaméni resulted in Valverde sustaining a head injury and being ruled out for two weeks. Both players were fined €500,000 and issued public apologies, but the fallout lingered.
According to Sports Illustrated, Premier League clubs have registered interest in Valverde as a consequence of the turmoil at the Bernabéu. Manchester United have been most prominently linked, with reports from The Mirror indicating United were weighing up a bid, and from FootballTransfers identifying Valverde as a €110 million target.
Real Madrid's official position, as reported by AS, is that Valverde wants to stay. The Uruguayan has communicated to those around him that his intention is to remain in Madrid and prove his value under the incoming management of José Mourinho.
His contract runs until 2029. Real Madrid's asking price, should their stance ever soften, is understood to exceed €100 million.
The situation has been further complicated by the dressing room dynamics. Reports indicate the squad has rallied behind Tchouaméni in the aftermath of the incident, with senior figures understood to favour a Valverde exit. Whether Mourinho shares that view — or overrides it — will be one of the defining questions of his early weeks in charge.
Valverde is currently preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with Uruguay and is focused entirely on the tournament.
He has registered five goals and eight assists in LaLiga this season. His value to Real Madrid, when fit and motivated, is not in dispute. The question is whether the environment can be repaired once Jose Mourinho walks through the door.