There’s no doubt that Alvaro Valles has been the best goalkeeper in La Liga this season. He has the second best save percentage (77.1%, just behind Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin) and is by far and away the best keeper in terms of goals prevented (10.3, next is Getafe’s David Soria with 5.6).
Many plaudits have come Valles way this season, and he could have something to show for it by the time the summer rolls around. He’s in contention to win the Zamora trophy, while he has also been tipped to earn a call-up to Luis de la Fuente’s Spain squad for the European Championships in Germany.
However, for the time being, Valles’ full focus is not on individual achievements or possible national team service, but rather helping Las Palmas to finish as high as possible in La Liga – possibly in the European places, as per Estadio Deportivo.
“I’m not aware of anything. I’m focused on the collective success of the team. We all want to finish as high as possible in the standings, to make history. Individual awards, if they come, are welcome. But the main thing for me is the collective. Praise can be debilitating, that’s why I always keep my feet on the ground.”
If Valles continues to perform at a very high level for Las Palmas, de la Fuente would surely find it difficult to leave him out of the Spain squad for Euro 2024. He could even earn a call-up for next month’s friendly matches against Colombia and Brazil.
