Bharath Rammr
Manchester United are ready to resist any attempts from Real Madrid in terms of signing David de Gea over the next couple of months. It is expected that the Spanish club will make a move for the goalkeeper after their failed attempts in 2015. Madrid were unable to complete the move after failing to adhere to the deadlines. David de Gea ended up staying at Old Trafford and even extended his contract. This time around, the situation is completely different, with the player having two years left on his contract and United aware about the player’s immense potential.
According to BBC, Manchester United are confident of keeping De Gea at the club, despite Real’s efforts to try and sign him this time around.
Over the last couple of years, De Gea has single-handedly earned the club at least 10 points with his brilliant shot stopping skills. When he came to Old Trafford as a youngster back in 2011, De Gea did have his problems including the ability to keep out opposition in the set pieces. Now, he has ironed out those issues and has become one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Unsurprisingly, his transfer value has also shot up to more than £50million.
Even then, United are not ready to sell the 26-year-old knowing that it would be extremely difficult to replace him. At the same time, the club are also keeping some contingency plans in order to avoid any last minute issues. Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak and Kasper Schmeichel, who happens to be the son of United icon Peter Schmeichel, are some of the names to potentially replace De Gea should the star leave Old Trafford.
United are aware that it could have been extremely difficult to even think about retaining De Gea if the club did not win the Europa League final a week ago. The victory over Ajax sees the club back in the Champions League and fighting on all major fronts. This becomes an extremely important facet for a player, who is reportedly earning around £200,000 per week. His current contract is also a positive factor for United when it comes to retaining the goalkeeper, as Real Madrid do not seem to have a contract that even comes close to this figure.
Apart from having two years left on his contract, De Gea is also aware that Manchester United can activate a one-year contract extension if they wish to. This becomes a crucial element for the club in the fight against Real Madrid.
In the past, though, the Red Devils have lost a crucial battle with Madrid, who were able to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for a world-record fee of £80million.
