Real Madrid are confident that they have won the battle to sign David De Gea from Manchester United as per . reports in the Times.
Manchester United are all but resigned to losing their goalkeeper and believe that only a u-turn equivalent to what Wayne Rooney did to sign a contract in 2010 will prevent the Spain goalkeeper from joining Real Madrid.
Earlier, manager Van Gaal had admitted that De Gea will find it tough to stay at Manchester United. “He is Spanish and his girlfriend is Spanish and he can go to another great club, so it is difficult for him to decide.”
De Gea, an A?18.3m signing from Atl tico Madrid in June 2011, has so far resisted Manchester Uniteda s attempts to secure his services despite having been offered A?200,000-a-week a a record deal for a goalkeeper in British football. With De Gea’s current deal due to expire at the end of next season, Manchester United have started to make contingency plans to replace their first-choice goalkeeper and Hugo Lloris has been linked to a move to Old Trafford among a host of other candidates. The Telegraph further adds that De Gea has already said to his teammates that he will return to Real Madrid.
Following months of speculation, the saga now finally seems to be coming to a close. Real Madrid are preparing to open formal negotiations, today, once Rafael Benitez has been presented as the manager.
Some reports suggest that Manchester United could ask for Gareth Bale in return for De Gea, but, it looks unlikely that Real Madrid will sell Bale given that he is central to the plan of the new manager Rafael Benitez and also a favorite of Fiorentino Perez.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, are understood to have met this week to discuss their summer transfers and reports in Spain say that club president Florentino P rez is confident that De Gea will sign for over A?25 million.