De Gea Expected Not to Leave Man Utd- BBC Report

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is expected to stay at Old Trafford beyond the end of the summer transfer window.

The 24-year-old Spaniard missed last Saturday’s opening league win at home to Tottenham Hotspur after manager Louis van Gaal admitted he was not in good “frame of mind” to play following interest from Real Madrid.

United are said to be holding out for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, or if Spain defender Sergio Ramos, 29, moves in the opposite direction.

De Gea is under contract with the Old Trafford club until 2016 at whose point he could join Real Madrid on a free transfer.

And the BBC Sport has scooped from club officials that negotiations are more likely to fall through before the European football transfer deadline on 1 September.

David De Gea Has One Year Left in His Current Contract at Man Utd. Image: EPA.
David De Gea Has One Year Left in His Current Contract at Man Utd. Image: EPA.

In absence of the former Atletico goalkeeper, 28-year-old Argentina international goalkeeper Sergio Romero made his Premier League debut against Spurs and made four saves, recovering the ball on 11 occasions.

But the De Gea transfer standoff is affecting other goalkeeper at Old Trafford as well. Denmark international Anders Lindegaard is surplus to requirement, while Sam Johnstone’s protracted loan move to Preston North End has long been overdue.

However, former Barcelona shot stopper Victor Valdes has been made available for a move away from United after Van Gaal claimed he “refused to play” in a reserve game.

The record fee ever paid for a goalkeeper is the £32.6m Juventus paid Parma in 2001 for Gianluigi Buffon.

De Gea featured twice in the pre-season – against Barcelona and Paris St – Germain; after which Van Gaal said “we want to keep him of course.”