From the end of the 2014/15 season to the end of the summer transfer window, Real Madrid fought tooth and nail to bring Manchester United’s prized goalkeeper to the Santiago Bernabéu. But it all fell apart at the last second on Spanish deadline day.
The deal would have also seen Madrid’s Costa Rican keeper, Keylor Navas, come to Old Trafford.
Since then, the manager of Los Blancos, Rafa Benítez, has claimed that he wanted to keep Navas, and did not require David De Gea.
When asked by Cander Ser as to whether or not the Spanish manager actually wanted to sign David De Gea, and if he was happy with keeping Navas, Benítez replied:
“I was delighted with Keylor Navas.”
“I was having dinner with Keylor that night. He is a professional and I was delighted with him.”
“Everything is perfect. Before I had a good professional relationship with him and after that I also have a personal one…”
“I was delighted to have Keylor before [the transfer saga] and I am delighted to have him now.”
“I didn’t have to convince him about anything. I just gave him my professional opinion. He knows I supported him since the beginning to the end.”
Keylor Navas has repaid his managers faith in him by only conceding two goals, and keeping 7 clean sheets, in his 9 games between the posts.
Benítez claims that he knew that Navas would be a good first choice keeper for his team, crediting his staff:
“I have an advantage being older, as one of my assistants, Antonio Gomez, knows him from his time at Albacete and spoke very well of him,”
“We had reports from him and monitored his progress after he moved from Albacete to Levante. I was relaxed about that knowing that whatever happened I’d have a great goalkeeper and was happy with Keylor.”
Manchester United fans were delighted that their top keeper stayed at Old Trafford, he even signed up to a new contract to ensure that, if he was to go to Real Madrid next season, it wouldn’t be on a free.
David De Gea has kept 2 clean sheets since returning to the Manchester United starting eleven. However, in those 7 games the Spaniard has conceded 9 goals.
