Sir Alex Ferguson and his achievements at Manchester United have seen managers that succeeded him find it hard to reach his heights leaving the club without any major success in the last three seasons.
Though Louis van Gaal got them the FA Cup last season, Manchester United have been unsuccessful, too long for a club of its stature.
These 3 years have hardly provided the fans with moments of joy and there are very few players in the squad who have managed to show some consistency throughout this time.
But one player who has always bailed them out is Spanish shot-stopper David de Gea.
Having moved to Manchester United back in 2011, De Gea, who had a nervous start to his stint in England, has now turned into the most important player for the side for a couple of seasons now.
The troubles of the club in the outfield has seen the goalkeeper pick up the Player of the Season award for the last two season, showing his value to the squad.
Though the likes of Petr Cech and Thibaut Courtois are world class, De Gea, on his day, is easily the best shot stopper in the Premier League.
So it does not come as a surprise that he is wanted back in his home country.
Real Madrid, the Champions of Europe, tried to sign the Manchester United man in the summer transfer window before last season and we all know what happened next.
The whole episode saw Manchester United offer him a lucrative contract that would keep him at the club till 2019. At that time, De Gea will be 28, in his prime and a target for top clubs around Europe.
Manchester United were aware of this situation and have reportedly added a release clause in his contract.
According to reports from Spanish publication Marca, Manchester United agreed to sign a €60m termination clause to avoid the appearance of interest of other teams, player, club, and representative.
It is also reported that one of the first things that Jose Mourinho did after moving to Old Trafford was to monitor the situation of the goalkeeper and that he wants De Gea to stay at the club for a long time.
The 26-year old is the first choice shot-stopper for club and country at the moment and easily one of the best in the world. So, trying to keep a hold of him is nothing surprising. But what is surprising is his release clause.
Standing at €60m, De Gea’s release clause is one of the most expensive among football players let alone goalkeepers. There will not be many teams that can afford to spend that amount of money on a shot-stopper and if Real Madrid wants him, after their transfer ban is lifted, they will have to break the bank for his signature.
Do you think David de Gea is worth €60m?