Manchester United gives up on De Gea

The Premier League club have been made aware
that the Spain goalkeeper wants to join

Rafael
Benitez's side this summer and are solely focused
on getting the best deal possible
By Greg Stobart
Manchester United are resigned to losing David de
Gea to Real Madrid this summer and have given up
on attempts to keep him at Old Trafford.
Sources have told Goal that United have accepted
De Gea's desire to move to Madrid in the transfer
window and are concentrating on negotiating the
best possible deal for the Spaniard.
De Gea told United in early June that he would not
sign the new €280,000-a-week contract offered by
the club and informed them of his desire to move
to the Santiago Bernabeu .
United are playing hardball with Real Madrid and
have demanded more than €40 million for the
goalkeeper despite the fact that he has only one
year remaining on his contract.
But behind closed doors senior club officials have
told Goal that De Gea is certain to leave United,
even if negotiations drag on until the end of the
transfer window.
While United are serious about their interest in
Sergio Ramos, they also recognise the bargaining
value in their recent bid for the Real Madrid
defender, whom they believe wants to complete a
switch to Old Trafford.
De Gea is eager to push through his transfer after
being warned that the Spanish giants will move on
to other targets if he does not make the switch
this summer.

The 24-year-old has been identified in Madrid as
the perfect long-term replacement for Iker Casillas
as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.
Casillas has two years remaining on his Real
Madrid contract but is expected to either drop to
the bench or leave the club this summer.
A move to the Spanish giants would also boost De
Gea's chances of replacing Casillas in the Spain
national team ahead of the European Championship
in France in 2016.
De Gea was named United's Players' Player of the
Season and Fans' Player of the Season last term
but the former Atletico Madrid man is also keen to
return to Spain, where his popstar girlfriend is
based.
United have been linked with the likes of Jasper
Cillessen and Hugo Lloris as potential
replacements in goal and manager Louis van Gaal
claimed in May that he had already drawn up a list
of targets.
"We shall already know who shall be the next
goalkeeper," said the Dutchman. "We also have a
list of goalkeepers who can replace him because
we have to be organised always."
De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011
for €24.4m and has made 175 appearances for the
club in four seasons.