What’s the story?
Real Madrid have edged closer to agreeing on a deal with Manchester United for the services of David de Gea after the goalkeeper asked the Red Devils to allow him move to the Spanish giants in the summer, according to reports in Spanish daily Marca.
The report further adds that Los Blancos will have to shell out a world-record €75 m for the Spaniard’s services, which will see him eclipse Gianluigi Buffon as the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. Buffon had moved from Parma to Juventus for a deal in the region of €53 m.
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The Spaniard has long been linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, who want to avoid a repeat of 2015 and complete the deal as soon as possible. It has also been reported that the Old Trafford side have eyed Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart as a potential replacement for the Spaniard, with manager Jose Mourinho keen on bringing the Englishman to the red half of Manchester.
In case you didn’t know…
In 2015, David de Gea’s deadline day move from Manchester United to Real Madrid collapsed in comical fashion after the paperwork required to complete the transfer were not submitted on time. In the aftermath, both the clubs accused the other one for being responsible for the collapsed deal.
However, Manchester United fans were elated to keep hold of the best player, for what is looking like two more seasons. The original deal also involved Real Madrid #1 Keylor Navas going the other way.
The heart of the matter
According to the Spanish daily, De Gea told Manchester United of his desire to leave the club and move to the Spanish giants roughly three weeks ago and in the aftermath was dropped from the squad for the 3-0 away win over Sunderland earlier this month. However, Mourinho had blamed the Spanish shot-stopper’s absence on a small hip problem.
Real Madrid’s current number 1, Keylor Navas, has endured a shaky season in between the sticks of the Santiago Bernabeu outfit, having not managed a single clean sheet in his last 10 La Liga games and this has forced the Santiago Bernabeu outfit to step up the chase of their #1 target.
It has also been reported that one of Alvaro Morata or James Rodriguez might also be making the switch from Madrid to Manchester as part of a deal. However, the Spanish giants prefer the two deals being separate, rather than using a player plus cash to bring De Gea to the club.
What’s next?
Real Madrid’s pursuit of David de Gea is expected to be one of the sagas of the upcoming transfer window. However, with Real Madrid going all out to bring the Spaniard to Santiago Bernabeu it is all a question of when rather than if.
Author's Take
De Gea almost joined Real Madrid on the deadline day of the 2015 summer transfer window and one cannot fathom another lucky escape for the Red Devils this time. The deal looks inevitable and it is only a matter of time before Los Blancos seal the deal.
