Oh Dear! That wasn’t in the script! 1 Sep 2015 21:12

So what seemed like an inevitable deal this time yesterday, has fallen through at the last minute, as David De Gea is made to wait a further year in order to fulfil his dream move. Ultimate United looks at the fallout!

By Frank Mead, Editor

I can’t deny that the news of this transfer collapse made me smirk a little. Madrid left it until the last minute to make an offer that United deemed acceptable. Let’s face it, the so-called “bids” they have made so far have been nothing more than an insult. Despite the official word from the club, which documents United’s version of events, the word on the street is that United did this intentionally. I personally hope that they did.

If we’re honest, these days whenever Real Madrid flutter their eyelashes at a player, they usually get him. Every year, they line up a player and start a whispering campaign in the press. The headlines will appear all over Marca, and then Madrid will typically deny that they are interested, before using every unsettling tactic in the book to get their player. Once the player hears of their interest, his head is usually turned.

The fact that they haven’t got their own way this time should warm the hearts of fans of every other club in Europe. There aren’t too many teams that haven’t seen their prized assets taken to the Bernabéu. It would be interesting to see what would happen if they started coming onto Agüero next summer – after all, they’ll have a healthy budget because it’s not as though they will have to pay a massive transfer fee for De Gea when they sign him, is it?

One of my mates said something earlier today that made me think, and it went along the lines of “There goes our chance of ever signing Bale”. I disagree. Look at the high profile players who have left Real Madrid in recent years? Robinho was Manchester City’s first trophy signing, a statement of intent, but not exactly crucial to their plans. Mesut Özil was seen as masterstroke when Arsenal signed him two summers ago, and although he is a good player, he was one of several quality midfielders at the Bernabéu, and it is starting to look like they overpaid for him. We don’t even need to go into the Di Maria saga.

The bottom line is, Madrid only let players go when it suits them. And when the time comes that Bale is surplus to requirements at Real, they will sell him to whoever puts the money up. If that club is United, then that’s where he’ll go.

I’ve heard a lot of negativity over the last few days about our transfer dealings. Admittedly, it does seems bizarre to let so many strikers go without replacements, but we’ll cover that another time. This could be the best thing that could happen to United.

Let’s be truthful, we aren’t exactly desperate for the £29 million they were offering. With the players we have offloaded this summer, we had pretty much broke even until we signed Anthony Martial from Monaco. And now we are back in the Champions League, the coffers will start swelling at Old Trafford from the riches that come with it.

There is also the fact that De Gea will probably be ushered back into the first team after the International break. I can understand his mind not being on the job while all this transfer business was up in the air, but now he knows exactly where he will be spending this season, I expect him to knuckle down, be professional and get on with it, because he has a lot to gain by doing so. As do Manchester United.

With the European Championships less than a year away, De Gea still only has five caps for Spain. By playing well for United, both in the Premier League and Champions League, he will keep Madrid interested and claim the number 1 jersey for his country unchallenged. He will then be able to leave at the end of his contract, claim a huge signing on fee in addition to a mammoth contract, safe in the knowledge that he is first choice for Spain and its biggest club.

As for United, with one of the world’s best goalkeepers between the sticks, they have a much better chance of making an impact in both the Premier League and in Europe, which will increase their revenue and their reputation. It also gives us another season to find his replacement.

And there is also the fact that, for once, Madrid’s bullying tactics didn’t work, and they didn’t get their man. The last time I can remember that NOT happening was in the summer of 2009, when they apparently wanted Antonio Valencia, but he wanted to stay in England – and something tells me they aren’t exactly slashing their wrists at the Bernabéu because of it.  

The only way this could get better is if De Gea got the hump over the fact that Real Madrid didn’t exactly break their backs to try and sign him, and signed a new contract.

But we all know that isn’t going to happen.