David De Gea Agrees Deal With Real Madrid
David De Gea appears to finally be on his way to Real Madrid after a protracted summer that has seen various reports claiming he would be leaving Old Trafford. The Spaniard who will be a free agent next year has proven himself the best goalkeeper during his stay in Manchester and his exploits on the field of play will be regarded as the stuff of legend.
The former Atletico man who signed for United for the sum of £17.8 million in the summer of 2011 has made a total of 175 appearances and is highly regarded not just in England but also in his country Spain. This probably explains Real Madrid’s desperation to land De Gea.
Reports suggest that De Gea has already agreed a six year deal with Real Madrid, with the club prepared to pay United £40 million. The deal is said to be hinging the proposed move of Iker Casillas to FC Porto. Feelers say that De Gea will be unveiled by the end of the week and that United despite having Victor Valdes are already eyeing the trio of Hugo Iloris, Simon Mignolet, and Fernando Muslera as potential replacements for the diminutive Spaniard.
For a player in the last year of his contract, De Gea should command a far less amount, and this is where Real Madrid are getting it wrong. Waiting a year to get their man on the free should be the prudent thing to do. Signing him now would be regarded as an attempt by Madrid to quickly fill in for the departure of Casillas, but what would be considered a coup by both fans, players and the world at large would be to sign De Gea on a free next year.
Manchester United on the other hand are in for a bashing from their fans as the fans will be wondering why on earth the club allowed a player of calibre to run out his contract. Van Gaal of all people should know the importance of tying down key players with an extension to their deals. United should a cue from their noisy neighbours who have all key players tied down and ensure that the team is not depleted due to the inability of the club to hold on to key players.
The next few days will be critical for fans of both clubs as the clubs look to build for the future without two key players who have given their all for the clubs and the fans alike.