Sideshow Bob
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Manager Louis van Gaal says he is optimistic about keeping goalkeeper David De Gea at Manchester United.
Real Madrid are understood to be interested in signing Spaniard De Gea, who has one more season left on his contract at Old Trafford.
The 24-year-old waved to United fans as he left the pitch on Sunday after suffering an injury in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal.
But Van Gaal said: "I believe still that David De Gea shall stay."
De Gea is in contention to start the final match of the season at Hull on Sunday (15:00 BST kick-off) despite the hamstring injury he suffered against the Gunners.
He has been named United's player of the year for the past two seasons.
United brought in fellow Spaniard Victor Valdes in January and he made his debut when he replaced De Gea on Sunday.
When asked if Valdes, 33, was ready to be first choice at Old Trafford, Van Gaal said: "First we have to see if De Gea is leaving. After that we shall talk about the other things.
"That he [Valdes] is good enough to be a Manchester United goalkeeper, of course that is the case, otherwise he wouldn't be here."
De Gea's future has gained the most attention because, as the club's two-time player of the year, he's one player United fans don't want to leave. The Spaniard has said nothing to journalists publicly, but he's been approached by United fans around Manchester. They pay his wages and ask what his plans are face-to-face, with no PR spin or journalistic filter.
The goalkeeper has usually opted for what should be known as the "Wayne Rooney reply", which is that better players should be signed by the club and echoes what the striker gave as a reason for wanting to leave back in 2010.
If De Gea added his reasoning is because some of the current squad haven't been good enough then he wouldn't be wrong, but players can tell fans what they want to hear while covering their own backs and there's a danger that they're being disingenuous ahead of leaving. Rooney stayed, of course.
De Gea really appreciated the applause he got vs. Arsenal at Old Trafford last week and the fact that United can pay him twice the number Madrid will go to is also a factor, as is the future of Iker Casillas, but the Madrileno has yet to give his current club any indication that the huge contract he's been offered will be signed.
The ball, as his manager keeps saying, is in De Gea's court and he could keep it there for another year until his current deal expires. However, neither Real Madrid, United nor the goalkeeper will accept a year of uncertainty.
“We talked with him [De Gea] and he fully agreed with our decision,” Van Gaal said. “I have one assistant coach and another assistant coach so we speak about that kind of thing together. We have a goalkeeping coach, Frans Hoek, and I’m not doing everything alone.
“Frans Hoek … he has a meeting with David de Gea and he asked him: ‘Do you want to play?’” Asked what the response was, Van Gaal said: “‘No.’ Then I have to take the decision. It is a process. We had been observing him in preparation, he was not so good, he was not the same David de Gea as before. He was my best player last season. According to the fans, he was the best of the last two years.”
Van Gaal’s revelations came after a press conference when he had been asked about De Gea’s position and made it clear there was no change – “he remains out of the squad” – before saying it would be better to discuss it in a “more intimate setting later”. At the end of his conference, he took a seat beside the journalist who had asked him whether De Gea actually wanted to play and, clarifying that he was still talking on-the-record, proceeded to say it was the goalkeeper’s wish to be left out of the squad.
A David De Gea told him that this could be: telling half truths coaches, clubs becoming the undesirables, questions, questions. The goalkeeper was psychologically prepared, but there is no doubt that the situation is doing very long. Although Toledo is known for its cold blood, it would hurt anyone to doubt their professionalism. The latest twists pose a new challenge for the player, whose desire is that everyone knows: join Real Madrid.
You train for two days with the reserves not clear whether it is a punishment or Louis Van Gaal wanted to work only with the two porters who took yesterday to Birmingham. In any case, it is a strange situation. And it occurs while the Dutch coach told . a lie halfway He did it in an aside to the print media on the eve of the game yesterday and his statements caused quite a stir: "I am not alone in this matter. I have a goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek. He met with De Gea to discuss whether he could play or not. He asked, 'You want to play against Tottenham?'. And David's answer was 'no'. Then I had to make a decision. Then we went back to talk to him to explain that he would not convened and agreed ".
It is true that there was a conversation between Hoek and De Gea, but nothing is true that the player refused to play. Here there are two possibilities. The goalkeeper, annoying, rebels, or to understand that these things are part of the strategy of Manchester United. As part of the Madrid say that with Keylor and Casilla have enough. De Gea mean, angry, that is the game of the two clubs.
How different would have been the situation if in the spring of 2014 the goalkeeper had accepted, as he intended to do, the proposed renewal Manchester. Interestingly, it would cost more than what you'll charge in Madrid. But Van Gaal who was stopped because I wanted to have another type of goalkeeper; Dutch cared or similar Keylor Navas goalkeeper.
Now, the impression I have is that all the matter will continue until just before the market closed. Jorge Mendes has told the player that Madrid will make the necessary effort to bring it, but you must also understand that Manchester is letting go best goalkeeper in the Premier and he has been elected the best player of the past two seasons by the network fans. It is not a laughing matter ...
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