Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho won’t stand in the way of David De Gea leaving the club this summer in favour of joining Real Madrid, according to reports.
The Spanish international has established himself as one of the top goalkeepers in Europe during his spell at Old Trafford, and has proven himself to be a key figure for Mourinho this season.
Meanwhile, Madrid have been linked with a move for him for years, and speculation has ramped up in recent months as the Spanish giants look to replace Keylor Navas.
According to Marca, Los Blancos are aware of United’s thinking in terms of being prepared to lose De Gea this summer, and it’s claimed that club president Florentino Perez will have to table a bid of around €60m to prise him away from Old Trafford, although no deal has been reached as of yet.
It’s added that Mourinho doesn’t wish to keep any player against their will, but he also intends on ensuring that no player leaves below their market value as he looks get a fair price.
Thibaut Courtois and Gianluigi Donnarumma of Chelsea and AC Milan respectively are specifically mentioned as alternative options in the report, however there is no doubt that De Gea is the top target and it seems that the shift in stance from United could be a significant breakthrough.
Nevertheless, it’s still a shock that the Red Devils are willing to lose the 26-year-old, and selling will not be a popular decision with supporters who have seen De Gea bail them out time after time with pivotal saves over the years.
However, while the focus between now and the end of the season remains the Premier League run-in and Europa League glory, it looks as though the Spaniard could be set to return to his homeland after leaving former Atletico Madrid in 2011.