Ex-Man Utd star ‘on the brink’ of completing transfer to Real Madrid

Former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is reportedly on the verge of joining Real Madrid.

The Spaniard is a free agent following his departure from Old Trafford earlier this summer, which ended his 12-year stint in Manchester. De Gea had been linked with a move to Bayern Munich and Saudi Arabia, but speculation has since dropped and the experienced stopper is yet to agree a deal with a new club.

It has led to reports that Madrid are keen on signing the 32-year-old, who was born in the Spanish capital and previously played for local rivals Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos are in the market for a new keeper following the news on Thursday that Thibaut Courtois has suffered an ACL injury and could miss the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign.

TalkSPORT are reporting that De Gea is ‘in advanced talks’ to join Madrid, with the outlet adding the keeper is ‘on the brink of signing’ for the 14-time European champions. Kepa Arrizabalaga had been linked with a switch to the Bernabeu, but it appears Real have opted for the cheaper option in De Gea, who could join without Real paying a transfer fee.

The ex-United man nearly signed for the club in 2015, but an infamous faulty fax machine prevented the deal from going ahead. De Gea has since had an up-and-down few years, and he excelled during the reigns of Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho at United, while his performance levels dropped dramatically under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

After a good 2021/22 campaign, De Gea had a mixed season last term. The former Spain international won the Golden Glove award and put in several superb performances for United, but he also made a number of calamitous errors, including in the FA Cup final, and the Europa League exit at the hands of Sevilla.

Real begin their La Liga season on Saturday with a trip to Athletic Bilbao, with Andriy Lunin expected to start between the sticks.