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At the beginning of July, David de Gea became a free agent after twelve years as a Manchester United player.
He is yet to find a new club, but may have just been handed a golden opportunity to finally get his dream move.
De Gea was close once. In 2015 the Spaniard pushed hard for a move to Real Madrid and was a dodgy fax machine away from getting his wish.
The club swiftly made him the highest paid player in the league and had another eight years with him in goal, before his departure under Erik ten Hag.
Demanding a goalkeeper with more quality in possession, the Dutchman opted to sign Andre Onana as his new first choice shot stopper. That, along with the offer of a contract on reduced terms, led to De Gea’s departure.
But now, an anterior cruciate ligament injury has sidelined Real Madrid star Thibaut Courtois, leaving the La Liga runners-up scrambling to sign a new goalkeeper.
Having already splashed out €103m to sign Jude Bellingham, and another €25m to bring in Arda Guler and Fran Garcia, Madrid are no looking to spend big on a new goalkeeper, and are likely to target a cheap option or a free agent.
According to RMC Sport, David de Gea is among the players being considered. Keylor Navas is also available on a free, while Hugo Lloris would represent another budget option.
Given their previous interest, along with the ease with which De Gea would settle in at Madrid having grown up in the city, the former United keeper does seem like the obvious choice.
With Courtois likely to miss the majority of the upcoming season, De Gea would essentially be guaranteed a starting spot for a year, during which time he would likely back himself to cement his position.
The question would be what kind of contract Real Madrid would be prepared to offer and whether the Spanish star would accept.
For Manchester United fans, it would be interesting to see how David de Gea would fare in Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid. The Italian manager does not ask much of his goalkeeper in possession and has always been happy to adjust his systems to mitigate player weaknesses and keep them confident.
