Will De Gea join Real Madrid next Summer?
David de Gea is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and, once again, the Manchester United shot-stopper has been in fine form at the beginning of the campaign. However, he almost became a Real Madrid player in what was probably the longest transfer saga of the summer. In a bizarre turn of events, De Gea’s switch to the Santiago Bernabeu was blocked due to irregularities with the paperwork, with both parties placing the blame on the other. Ultimately, the only thing that mattered was De Gea stayed at Madrid and Jesus Navas, who was set to join United as part of the deal, remained in Madrid. Complicated, huh?
What complicates matters further is the new contract that De Gea signed back in September. Throughout the last 12 months, the Spaniard has been the complete professional. He has refused to comment on any transfer rumours or dealings and has always kept his cards close to his chest. De Gea’s new contract, however, leaves United supporters in limbo. Does this new deal include a release clause? The extension almost certainly does have a release clause, which will allow De Gea the opportunity to move to Madrid if Real match the figure written in his contract.
While De Gea clearly enjoys his job as United’s shot-stopper, his heart is in Madrid – everybody knows it. His head (and more importantly, his hands and the rest of his body) is in Manchester, which is crucial. However, the new contract has allowed De Gea the opportunity to focus on his football as United’s number one goalkeeper, safe in the knowledge that he could potentially achieve his dream of playing for Real Madrid at the end of the campaign. De Gea is well within his rights to move to the Bernabeu and, by signing the extension, he is allowing United the opportunity to receive a concrete figure for his transfer, rather than simply walking out for free at the end of his original contract.
However, this may be doing De Gea an injustice and the Spaniard may be planning a long, successful career at Old Trafford. At the time of writing, United sit just four points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City and are priced at 7/1 to win the title in bet365’s football betting markets. Louis van Gaal’s men have been criticised this season but have kept five consecutive clean sheets, including one most recently in the 2-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion, which took place on De Gea’s birthday.
On paper, De Gea looks to be enjoying his time at Old Trafford but his future remains uncertain. Will he stay at Old Trafford or are Real already planning their move behind the scenes? On current form, the United star is the best goalkeeper in the world and Europe’s elite clubs will all be interested in trying to tempt him away from Old Trafford, whether he has a release clause or not. For now, United fans should cherish their number one and pray that the Spaniard stays at the club for many years to come.