Tottenham star calls Real Madrid captain ‘a beast’ but questions his position: ‘He can do much better in midfield’

Federico Valverde has become one of the central figures in Jose Mourinho’s tactical adjustments at Real Madrid.

The Uruguayan’s impressive performances at right-back have strengthened the team, but that raises an important question: are Los Blancos sacrificing one of Europe’s best midfielders for better team balance?

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro has weighed in during an interview with Cadena Ser’s El Larguero, praising Valverde’s extraordinary versatility.

The Spanish international was asked about Madrid’s right-back situation and spoke about the Uruguayan international.

“Fede Valverde can play wherever you want. He’s a beast, an animal. I love Fede,” Porro said.

“I think he can do much better in his natural position. There are few midfielders like him these days. That power, that quality, the way he gets forward, his goalscoring ability,” he added.

Porro’s assessment comes at a time when Mourinho has just moved Fede to right-back. The results have improved for Madrid since the switch.

Despite having both Denzel Dumfries and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the squad, Mourinho feels the team plays better with Fede at right-back.

The captain delivered an excellent performance in Madrid’s 2-1 Clasico victory over Barcelona, despite suffering from a physical issue.

His performance against RB Leipzig just before the game was even better. The 28-year-old created three chances, recorded 116 touches and won four tackles while operating at full-back.

At his best in midfield, Valverde covers enormous distances, drives through opposition lines and arrives around the penalty area with a devastating shot.

Those qualities are harder to exploit when his primary responsibility is defending the right flank and offering width.

Mourinho’s challenge is not deciding whether Valverde can play right-back. That much is already evident.

Instead, the manager has to decide whether the cost of sacrificing Valverde’s midfield qualities is worth having the team play better football.

Porro’s comments echo the sentiments of many fans who would love to see their captain playing in midfield.

However, the team always comes first, and if Mourinho wants to play Fede at right-back going forward, it remains to be seen how the team fares in the coming weeks.