Middlesbrough custodian Victor Valdes has stressed the need for his team to be guarded against his former Barcelona team-mate Alexis Sanchez when Boro visit Arsenal this weekend.
The Chilean, who played with Valdes at the Camp Nou between 2011 and 2014, moved to London two summers back in order the provide strength to the Arsenal attacking line-up.
He has since been an integral part of Arsene Wenger's team, having already scored an impressive 48 goals in 104 matches for them and also setting up 30 more for his team-mates.
Valdes, who joined Boro this summer from Manchester United, has therefore warned his team against the attacking threat that could be posed by his former Barcelona team-mate.
According to the veteran goalkeeper, in spite of the 27-year-old performing a different kind of role than when at Barcelona, he has proved his mettle and gone on to become one of the best in the world.
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“Alexis is a special guy and a special player,” Valdes was quoted as saying by his club's official website.
“He is very good in the last part of the pitch, hitting the target and finishing.
“We must be in very good attention against him because he can be very dangerous.
“At Arsenal, he might be playing a different way [than at Barcelona], but now he is in a very good way and has shown the rest of the world he is one of the best.”
