David de Gea has promised to speak about his failed 2015 transfer to Real Madrid when his career is over, implying that are still juicy unknown details to share.
De Gea was courted by Real Madrid for months leading into the summer of 2015, having established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. A move back to his home city almost came to pass when Manchester United agreed a swap deal involving Keylor Navas.
But the paperwork wasn’t submitted before the transfer deadline in Spain and everything collapsed.
De Gea, who had only been in Manchester for four years at that point, wound up signing a new contract less than two weeks later and ultimately stayed until another long-term deal ended in 2023.
“At the end of my career, I’ll talk about what happened that day,” De Gea told Cronache Di Spogliatoio. “When certain things happen, it’s for a reason.
“I stayed in Manchester and I was happy. [Thibaut] Courtois went [to Real Madrid in 2018], having found a place at Atlético thanks to my departure [in 2011]. He did very well, and I’m happy for him.”
De Gea had initially agreed a new contract to stay with Manchester United beyond 2023, but things changed when it became clear that new manager Erik ten Hag was insistent on having a goalkeeper more comfortable playing out from the back, targeting André Onana. The Spaniard didn’t rush back into professional football and ended up sitting out an entire season until joining Fiorentina.
“I rejected offers from England because after spending so many years at a club like United, you feel like you don’t want to play for another club in England. It was impossible for me to play anywhere else,” he explained.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as David de Gea Makes Cryptic Admission Over Failed Real Madrid Transfer.