Man Utd now offered World Cup star to sweeten any De Gea deal
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As long as David de Gea keeps being omitted from Manchester United’s squad, his Spanish suitors will believe a deal involving the goalkeeper can still be squeezed over the line by the end of the current transfer window.
Real Madrid are nothing if not persistent in their pursuit of United’s best player, though as yet no particular tactic (have they considered offering a big sum of money?) has brought their burning desire any closer.
There have been many stumbling blocks to overcome, not least Madrid’s stance on protecting their own prize assets from being lured into any potential deal.
Louis van Gaal was extremely keen to get his hands on Los Blancos skipper Sergio Ramos at the outset of negotiations, although the seemingly-unsettled centre-back has since quashed hopes by signing on again at the Bernabeu.
Somehow gaining Gareth Bale out of the deal always smacked of desperation and United enquiries over fellow forward Karim Benzema have also been met with stubborn resistance.
Now Rafael Benitez’s mob, according to the Daily Mail at least, are shifting from their strangely passive approach by offering to throw in their own number one, Keylor Navas, as well as money.
Navas shot to prominence at last summer’s World Cup where his heroics in Costa Rica’s net helped propel the unfancied Central Americans into the last eight, before Real came calling after the tournament.
Still, having struggled to uproot veteran stopper Iker Casillas in the Bernabeu net during his first full season, consigned to just 11 starts, the 28-year-old will hardly be viewed as a keeper worthy of directly replacing De Gea at Old Trafford.
The early signs are that Argentine number one Sergio Romero will take some dislodging by anyone other than De Gea at any rate, so the fee thrown into the bundle would have to be very hefty.
Somehow this latest development feels like it won’t be the key to unlocking the door to the summer’s longest saga.
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