SPECIAL REPORT: The Manchester United goalkeeper is holding out for a move to Real Madrid, but he may have to wait several weeks before a deal is completed.
It is now only a question of time. David De Gea has his heart set on a return to Spain with Real Madrid and Manchester United are already resigned to losing the 24-year-old goalkeeper. The transfer, however, is nowehere near completion at this stage.
De Gea emerged at Atletico Madrid, appearing 84 times for the Santiago Bernabeu side's rivals between 2009 and 2011, winning the Europa League and the Uefa Super Cup with the Rojiblancos under Quique Sanchez Flores.
Initially questioned following his €24.4 million move to Old Trafford, the Spanish shot-stopper has established himself as arguably the Premier League's finest goalkeeper over the past two seasons and United were eager for him to sign a new deal.
But the 24-year-old, who attracted interest from Madrid last summer as the Spanish side considered selling club captain Iker Casillas, has long yearned for a move back to his homeland. In fact, De Gea had planned a move to Madrid even before signing for United and changed his agent to sign with Jorge Mendes in 2011 for that very reason.
Having proved himself as one of the world's greatest goalkeepers and the natural successor to Casillas for Spain, he is also a logical choice for Los Blancos and United know they are fighting a losing battle to hang on to one of their prized players.
The Old Trafford outfit have offered De Gea a lucrative new contract worth €280,000 per week, but the player is unwilling to negotiate and the club have been looking at possible replacements for some time, with Ajax keeper Jasper Cillessen, Tottenham's Hugo Lloris and Atletico's Jan Oblak among them, while Victor Valdes also has a shot at the role if he can prove his fitness in pre-season.
In the meantime, however, De Gea remains very much a United player as Madrid have failed to get anywhere near the Premier League side's €40m valuation. So far, Rafael Benitez's side have offered around €25m for the goalkeeper, who is out of contract in the summer of 2016.
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