Despite the improved form in recent months and the stability between the posts at Manchester United, the rumors around the departure of David de Gea, in favor of a better life (???) with Real Madrid simply won’t go away.
Maybe it has to do with Iker Casillas, that beyond being a symbol for some in the “battle” against Jose Mourinho and the way he’s running things at Real Madrid, actually not showing his best form this season. Maybe it has to do with De Gea keeping a clean sheet only five times this season in the league, conceding a goal (or more) in seven of his last nine appearances, regardless of the result in the end, usually in favor of Manchester United.
Reasonably, it doesn’t sound like such a great decision to sell De Gea, who isn’t too happy with life in Manchester, but ever since not having to fight with Anders Lindegaard for the first team jersey is playing better and looking more confident.
He’s only 22, and despite his tendency to punch everything in sight, and the need to improve on his command of the box and communication with the other players and central defenders, being just 22 means there’s plenty of time to improve, and the potential for a very bright future.
And still, as some have pointed out, Manchester United aren’t always the most patient of clubs when it comes to player development, especially when it’s a goalkeeper who cost so much, £17 million, to get from Atletico Madrid with more than a few European Clubs chasing him. While other players who don’t really fit the system right away have time to spend in a rotation, goalkeepers aren’t the best position to mess around with, and if De Gea isn’t delivering the goods, starting to put him in and out of the lineup isn’t the best of ideas.
With Real, you never know. Not just because of Iker Casillas’ stature at the club, but also because of who will be running the club in a few months. The election is happening, and Florentino Perez, who didn’t exactly succeed in his second Galacticos period, winning only one league title so far an no Champions League trophies, is promising big names again, one of them is De Gea. It doesn’t have anything to do with Jose Mourinho this time, who know seems to think has a chance at staying with the club. It mostly has to do with how much Alex Ferguson is willing to wait.