Andy Mitten | ESPN FC
October 13, 2014
David De Gea's stock is on the rise, which has predictably led to speculation that United's keeper could return to Spain to play for Real Madrid © Getty Images
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David De Gea's rise to becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world is tinged with risk for Manchester United fans. The better he gets, the more likely he is to return to Spain. United fans were saddened by the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009, and while executive vice chairman Ed Woodward is adamant that United won't be beaten on price by any club in the world, the appeal of playing for football's most successful club in your home city is clear.
De Gea's stock rose further after Iker Casillas was again at fault for his country as Spain were defeated in Slovakia on Thursday. De Gea was always likely to make his competitive debut against Luxembourg on Sunday and he did that in a 4-0 win. Casillas was hugely popular in his homeland, but the wish of many Spaniards is for De Gea to become the next Casillas - someone who wears the goalkeeper shirt for a decade or more.
A fading Casillas will see demand for Madrid to bring in a top goalkeeper, despite the summer signing of Keylor Navas. The man likely to be the best on the planet is from Madrid and Marca - Real Madrid's principal cheerleader in the Spanish media - ran the De Gea to Madrid story at the weekend.
Madrid are aware that De Gea, who turns 24 next month, is out of contract in 2016. United haven't started contract talks with De Gea's agent, Jorge Mendes. There were informal talks last season (when De Gea was named the club's Players' Player of the Year) about improving his existing five-year contract, but the club's attention switched to changing managers.
New manager Louis van Gaal wanted to assess every player including De Gea, who now works with goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek, his third goalkeeping coach in 18 months after Eric Steele and Chris Woods. The changes weren't ideal for De Gea, but he had a good relationship with all and Hoek was kind enough to invite Steele, now at Derby, back to Carrington training centre as a guest. The stalling only aids De Gea, who has continued to improve since a difficult first season following his £17.8 million transfer from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
Signing footballers isn't an exact science, but United's adept acquisition of the Spaniard deserves praise. Knowing they had to replace Edwin van der Sar, United watched all the best goalkeepers in the world before contacting two - Manuel Neuer and De Gea. The word back from the German was that if Neuer wanted to go to Manchester, he'd go on holiday. That was rightly perceived to be arrogant by Sir Alex Ferguson and his staff. United focused on De Gea, whom Steele had spotted playing for Spain U17s against England in the finals of the 2007 Euros in Belgium.
"I wasn't there to watch him, but this matchstick of a goalkeeper did two or three things in that game," Steele told me. "He had nothing to do for 20 minutes, when a ball came back to him. He was chased down, but calmly dragged the ball from his right foot to his left and then cleared it to the left back. When the left back had the ball, David created a new angle and made himself available to the left back, who passed the ball back. David then pinged it 60 yards to the outside right. I thought 'Wow.'"
Steele would become a key character in De Gea's life, learning important phrases in Spanish and pushing him - with limited success - to learn English. De Gea is very laid-back.
Despite his talent, De Gea's first season was very tough. The mainstream media didn't publicise it, but senior United coaches were worried that he was so homesick that he might want to return to Spain. It didn't help that his parents weren't keen on flying, or that his girlfriend lived between Barcelona, Madrid and Manchester. Logistics didn't make it easier. You can fly from Manchester's huge airport direct to 12 Spanish cities but there is no daily service to Madrid, Spain's capital and biggest city. So every trip home is a challenge - either via Liverpool, where United players aren't always the most popular passengers, or a London connection. At every stage they get recognised and have cameras shoved in their faces.
David De Gea started in place of Iker Casillas for Spain against Luxembourg © Getty Images
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On the bus to the terminal at the Barcelona airport last year, a fan asked De Gea if he'd be joining Barca. "Who knows?" he replied politely. Which was reported as De Gea wanting to join a Barca side about to lose Victor Valdes. Of course, De Gea's situation has been helped by the fact United have brought in more Spanish players and De Gea himself did his first interview in English in May.
De Gea's also adored by United fans who sing: "Everywhere you go always take De Gea with you" to the tune of the Crowded House hit. They hope he's more comfortable with the weather than Ronaldo, according to Roy Keane in his new book. Keane recalls a conversation with Ronaldo and Silvestre: "I'd go, 'Lads, when you signed, you must've known it f***in' rains a lot in Manchester.' They'd go, 'We knew, but we didn't know it would be this bad.'
"If they're used to going for a cappuccino at half-ten at night, sitting on a balcony somewhere, and all of a sudden it's dark at half-four and it's f***in' freezing, that is going to change them. I know this, because they told me."
De Gea's settled in Cheshire but it's not home, it's not where his close friends live, or where his partner works - she's an established singer in Spain.
The lure of Madrid is considerable and he could become part of a game of chess in which Mendes owns almost all the pieces - and he also knows t
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