Despite David de Gea’s future at Manchester United appearing to be settled, for now, reports suggest it’s inevitable Real Madrid will reignite their interest in the summer.
The Spaniard’s performances in the Premier League are largely not being discussed this season, partly due to the controversy surrounding Liverpool’s goalkeeping situation and Claudio Bravo at Manchester City.
But that hasn’t stopped the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper from being linked with a return to the Spanish capital, and this time to the white side of the city.
Reports over recent days suggest Florentino Perez has put De Gea on a list of three potential replacements for current first choice goalkeeper Keylor Navas, alongside Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris.
And the 26-year-old is clearly an easy target, presenting the United shot-stopper the chance to not only return to his homeland but also play for arguably the biggest football club on the planet.
Those plans, though, will upset Manchester United, who had to quickly get over the Spaniard’s failed transfer deadline day move to the Santiago Bernabeu back in September 2015.
Real’s no.1, Keylor Navas, was set to head to Old Trafford as part of the £29 million deal that would have taken De Gea to Real Madrid, but Los Blancos’ failure to submit the required paperwork to La Liga on time resulted in the transfer being rejected.
However, Real clearly still rate their chances of luring the Spain international away from Manchester, but they will face a fight to agree on a deal with the Red Devils, as Jose Mourinho has put together a plan to keep his key asset.
As per Marca, Mourinho reportedly believes the club’s goalkeeping coach, Emilo Alvarez, can be influential in convincing De Gea to remain in the Premier League.
Alvarez was De Gea’s goalkeeping coach during his days at Atletico, which ultimately helped him produce the performances which earned him a move to Old Trafford in the first place.
United’s goalkeeping coach convinced then Atletico boss Quique Sanchez Flores to select the young and inexperienced Atletico academy graduate over both Sergio Asenjo and now Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles.
And that is in part why Mourinho believes his colleague can tempt De Gea to stay put – given how influential Alvarez has been on his career so far.
But De Gea’s future at United will not simply be in Mourinho’s hands, and the Spaniard’s future could hinge on whether the Red Devils are in the Champions League next season.
Mourinho’s men have had to settle for Europa League football this season, and De Gea will be important to their chances of success. But it’s unlikely the Spaniard will settle for such a level of European football for a second consecutive campaign.