Losing David de Gea to Real Madrid has to be among Manchester United fans’ worst fears.
The Spaniard narrowly missed out on a move to the Bernabeu due to botched administration by Los Blancos in 2015.
With Zinedine Zidane not quite satisfied with current number one Keylor Navas, it looks as though he could once again target United’s club Player of the Year for each of the last three seasons.
Surprisingly, though, he is not going to be the European champions’ first choice.
According to Goal, Zidane still prefers Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois, and De Gea will be a back-up option if he is unable to sign the Belgian.
Courtois previously spent time on loan at Atletico Madrid, but it’s thought De Gea would also be keen to move back to the capital because of pressure from his girlfriend.
The only complication is that Real’s kit suppliers are applying a little prodding themselves, asking the club to opt for De Gea as he’s sponsored by the same brand.
Hopefully for United, footballing matters will prevail and Madrid will choose Courtois instead.
With the Red Devils likely to miss out on the Champions League yet again, they risk losing key players, as it’s only their prestige that is keeping the likes of De Gea from moving elsewhere.
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