Manchester United are determined to keep hold of goalkeeper David de Gea from the clutches of Real Madrid, at least for one more year.
The 24-year-old has one year left on his contract and has refused to sign a new deal. He has set his sights on returning to his homeland as the former Atletico Madrid man wants to join his former club’s local rivals.
According to BBC’s Simon Stone, United are adamant to keep hold of their player, unless Real pay a world-record fee in signing a goalkeeper. Juventus paid Parma £32.6m for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001 and the Italian is still the world’s most expensive stopper.
Louis van Gaal and Ed Woodward will not let to go their star player for cheap, if Real are willing to make a business in the ongoing transfer window. The risk the Premier League club are willing to take is they may see De Gea leave for nothing next summer.
United are willing to do a business with Real if they pay a world-record fee or include Sergio Ramos in the deal. If either of this does not happen, De Gea will still be a United player beyond September 1.
The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager dropped the Spain international for United’s 1-0 season opener against Tottenham Hotspur, citing he is not in the right frame of mind. Summer signing Sergio Romero made his debut in that game ahead of De Gea.
Van Gaal also admitted that De Gea can still play for United, despite the ongoing saga surrounding his future.
“Of course he could. If he is still here on 1 September we will look again, but he cannot play before that because as a goalkeeper you need the highest concentration, and it is difficult when you are in a position like David,” Van Gaal said.
“We saw in pre-season his focus was not quite there and we made the decision on Wednesday not to play him.”
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