Manchester United have reportedly put contract talks with star goalkeeper David De Gea on hold, as Real Madrid will not pursue the Spaniard this summer, and so there is no urgency to finalise a new deal.
According to The Sun’s Daniel Cutts, the Red Devils were working on an improved deal for their goalkeeper, amid rumours Real were once again planning an assault on De Gea.
The former Atletico Madrid man has two years left on his current contract, worth £200,000 per week, and a better deal could have motivated the 26-year-old to stick around longer.
But, according to the report, Los Blancos manager Zinedine Zidane has confidence in his No. 1 stopper, Keylor Navas, and the Spanish champions won’t make a move for their longtime target after all.
Navas didn’t have a good 2016-17 season, as he cost the team valuable points with countless blunders, but he did turn things around toward the end of the campaign and stood out in the UEFA Champions League final.
The Costa Rican hasn’t performed well in pre-season, and Sport Witness noted he once again made a grave mistake in the UEFA Super Cup win over United:
That mistake―and the fine form De Gea showed in that match―didn’t lead to any new speculation, however, and rumours likely would have been swirling by now had there been any leaks regarding yet another attempt from Real for De Gea.
Spain’s No. 1 still seems likely to return to the capital one day, but there has been little chatter during this summer transfer window. With both teams on the verge of kicking off their campaigns―either in the Premier League or Spanish Super Cup―they would have left it late in the window to conclude more big business.
De Gea missed out on his move to Real in 2015 on deadline day, with only a fax machine standing between him and the La Liga giants, per Juan Jimenez and Alfredo Matilla of AS. The saga showed major transfers aren’t limited to the early days of the window, even if that’s often when most clubs opt to make their moves.
It doesn’t appear there will be any such drama this season, however, with De Gea staying put and Real continuing with their current options.