Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is all set to leave the club, with Real Madrid the favourites to sign him this summer. De Gea has refused to commit his future to United despite their offer to make him the highest paid goalkeeper in history, and has been on the brink of a move to Madrid for the past few months.
According to the Sun, sources close to De Gea believe the transfer is virtually done, and claim that he has already said his farewells to United’s playing and club staff.
Real Madrid club president, Florentino Pérez, is expected to make an offer in excess of £25m for the Spanish goalkeeper, who is expected to make his return to Madrid after spending eight years in Atlético Madrid before he was signed by Manchester United in 2011. A deal is now close to completion, with the prospect of a return to his home nation of Spain appearing to prove too good to resist for the 24-year-old. Moreover, De Gea has another reason to make this move as his girlfriend Edurne Garcia, a Spanish singer, currently lives in Madrid.
De Gea was recognised as an adopted son of the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha in his home province of Toledo on Sunday and was inevitably asked about the possibility of playing closer to home next season. “We’ll see what happens with my future,” he was quoted to have said by AS. “I’m on vacation now and very happy for this recognition.”
Florentino Pérez has a knack of making big signings every summer. Therefore, there is no doubt that he is going after De Gea, who was in sparkling form last season and was voted as Manchester United’s Player of the Year. And with the prospect of playing in his homeland, and in a club where he feels he will have a better chance of winning the Champions League and establishing himself as the long-term Spanish No 1, it won’t be a surprise to see De Gea play for Real Madrid next season.
