It is no secret that Real Madrid actively pursued David de Gea. The Spanish club were so confident in getting their prized transfer target that they even allowed Iker Casillas to leave the club in the summer of 2015. De Gea has been a transfer target for Madrid for a long time, but his Atletico Madrid roots prevented the La Liga giants from making a move. After having spent his last couple of years at Manchester, De Gea was actively linked with a return to Madrid.
However, he performed a last-minute U-turn to sign a new contract with United that would last until the summer of 2019. One of the highest-paid goalkeepers in world football, De Gea is reported to have a £52 million release clause in his contract. Even though it is not customary for English clubs to have a release clause in the player’s contract, it is believed that Madrid are confident of signing the player for this massive fee.
Spanish newspaper Marca, which has close links with Madrid, says that De Gea has a £52 million release clause. Signing the 26-year-old for this figure would make him the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, surpassing the €53 million paid by Juventus for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001.
De Gea has easily been one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League over the last couple of years. Even the arrival of Thibaut Courtois back from his loan spell at Atletico has done little to take the limelight away from the Spaniard. Even though he initially struggled with his ability to deal with crosses, De Gea has made significant improvements in this aspect of the game. However, he still remains one of the best shot-stoppers around.
Real Madrid do not have a proper number one between the posts, as manager Zinedine Zidane has been following an Arsenal-like policy of rotating goalkeepers between major competitions. Kiko Casilla has featured more in the league matches while Zidane has preferred using Keylor Navas in the European games. Of late, however, it is understood that the club are not satisfied with the performances of both goalkeepers even though Madrid have conceded three goals less than archrivals Barcelona.
Madrid have not experienced a top goalkeeper in action for a number of years now, as Casillas was nowhere near best since 2010. The arrival of David de Gea could make an overwhelming shift in the right direction for Madrid.
After having struggled a long time to find a replacement for Peter Schmeichel, it did not take long for United to find a replacement for Edwin van Der Sar. However, they are still in danger of losing their star goalkeeper even after penning him on a long-term contract.
