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Liverpool will press ahead with plans to sign free agent Victor Valdes, so long as the former Barcelona keeper is able to prove his fitness.

The Spaniard, 32, is currently recovering from a serious knee injury and is not expected to be back in action until November.

However, Brendan Rodgers is willing to bide his time as he sees Valdes as the ideal man to provide competition for regular No1 Simon Mignolet.

And the stats certainly back up the manager’s belief in the Spanish stopper.

Last season, Valdes had a better shots-to-saves ratio than Mignolet - 76.7% as opposed to 68.2%

Valdes averaged a clean sheet once every 2.2 games in La Liga, Mignolet just one every 3.8 matches.

The Barca keeper conceded 0.8 goals a game on average last term, Mignolet as much as 1.3 a game as the Reds struggled at times defensively.

And when you add into the mix the fact Valdes has won 21 major honours at club level, including six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues, the Reds will be landing one of the most decorated keepers in the game should they manage to secure his signature.