Real Madrid star doesn't want Chelsea transfer despite Blues' willingness to meet wage demands: Reports

Federico Valverde does not want to leave Real Madrid despite Chelsea's willingness to meet the player's desired wage package, according to Spanish outlet El Nacional.

The midfielder does not want to betray the La Liga giants and is grateful for the trust they have placed in him over the years.

Valverde joined Los Blancos from Penarol in the summer of 2016. It wasn't until December 2018 that he made his La Liga debut for the club, coming on for the last 19 minutes in Madrid's 2-0 win against Valencia.

Since then, Valverde has become an important part of his team's midfield. Last season, the Uruguay international scored once and assisted twice in 46 appearances across all competitions from the club.

Managing to be a regular in Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI despite the presence of Luka Modric, Casemiro, and Toni Kroos is no small feat. The Brazil international's transfer to Manchester United for a fee of £70 million including add-ons is expected to bump Valverde up the pecking order.

He can expect to feature in a central position more often after having played as a right-midfielder on several occasions last season. He started out wide on the right flank in the 2022 UEFA Champions League against Liverpool, which his team won 1-0.

His low-driven cross from out wide found Vinicius Jr unmarked at the back post in the 59th minute, who scored the only goal of the game. News of him wanting to stay at the Santiago Bernabeu would come as music to the ears of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He would certainly not want to lose another senior midfielder this late in the transfer window. However, Aurelien Tchouameni's arrival from AS Monaco earlier this summer will cushion the blow of Casemiro's exit to some extent.

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Missing out on Real Madrid's Federico Valverde is a big blow for Chelsea

Chelsea are running out of time if they want to strengthen their midfield before the transfer window deadline on September 1. Their interest in Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong is real but seems to be going nowhere as of now.

Midfielders N'Golo Kante (31) and Jorginho (30), as good as they may be, are on the wane due to their age. Both are also in the final 12 months of their respective contracts at Stamford Bridge.

Real Madrid's Federico Valverde, in this regard, would have been a blockbuster signing for Chelsea. The 23-year-old is yet to enter the prime of his career and will only get better from here.

The player, however, has five years left on his contract and his apparent unwillingness to leave Madrid kills any hopes manager Thomas Tuchel would have of signing him.