The football transfer world is a remarkable business , proven by the way it continues to surprise us with more ways than one. Perhaps the worst kept secret of the summer , David De Gea’s move to Real Madrid seemed a formality since news first emerged that the young Spaniard has his heart set on a switch to the Bernabeu and will not sign an extension. For their part , United offered a bumper deal to their player of the season for the last two years running , and left no stone unturned in their quest to convince the 24-year-old to stay at the club.
However, the Old Trafford outfit have lately conceded defeat in their attempts and have proposed a swap deal with Real Madrid for the goalkeeper, which will see long time Real centre back Sergio Ramos moving in the other direction. It is an intriguing development as Real are said to be desperate for the keeper to join as a replacement for club legend Iker Casillas, while United are on the lookout for a top defender to strengthen the back four which looked vulnerable throughout last season.
In the world of defenders , there don’t come many , if any , better than Ramos. The 29-year-old has been a fixture in the Madrid defence for a decade since joining from Sevilla , and has already won all that there is to win with club and country. The huge fan favorite, who is touted as the future captain once San Iker departs , is said to be disappointed with the fact that his wages don’t reflect his standing in the team as one of the most important players. He reportedly earns €6 million a year, which is half as that of Benzema and a thrice that of Gareth Bale. With his contract entering its final two years , and after seemingly rejected an extension , reports have been doing the rounds that the defender is angling for a move away.
Earlier reports had claimed that Madrid were demanding a mammoth £60 million for the player , and in the scenario of a player-plus-cash deal , £30 million plus De Gea for Ramos.However, those figures seemed implausible given that Ramos had just two years left on his deal , and at 29, his next contract would be his final at a top club. Spending such a large chunk on a player who would have no resale value at the end of his deal never made sense.
However , the BBC have now chipped in with reports that United have launched a £28.6 million bid for the Spanish centre back and are hopeful of securing a deal , despite the claims of the player’s brother Rene , who also happens to be his agent, that the situation at the Bernabeu is under control and the player hopes to reach an agreement with the Capital club to extend his contract.
The player , who is a bonafide legend at the Los Blancos having made 445 appearances for the club , has not yet come out and cleared the air regarding his future , and until he does so , speculations are expected to grow. The currently mooted figure via the BBC appears a reasonable one to pay for one of the best defenders in the world. United fans will be hoping that the club can seal this spectacular capture in the coming days , as acquiring such a top class defender can go a long way to fill the gap created by De Gea’s eventual and unavoidable departure.