Paul Scholes: Why would David De Gea leave Man United for Real Madrid?

The Spanish stopper has had another outstanding season in goal for Manchester United and was named as the Red Devils’ player of the year.

The 24-year-old is rightly considered as one of the best goalkeepers in world football and has been widely linked with a move to Real Madrid. De Gea’s current deal at Old Trafford is due to expire next summer and despite numerous attempts to tie him down to another deal – even one that is reportedly worth four times his current £50,000-per-week deal – the Spaniard is refusing to commit his long term future to the club.

Instead, it is believed that Real will make a summer swoop for the keeper, but United legend Scholes questioned why De Gea would even think about leaving when he would have to scrap for the number one jersey.

In Scholes’ Independent column, he said: “David De Gea has been one of those fine Manchester United players who has come of age in one of the most high-pressure positions on the pitch, and now he has established himself as the Premier League’s best goalkeeper, the club could well lose him.

“De Gea was 20 when he came to Old Trafford, and at the time I was concerned about his suitability to play in goal for United. He looked a little weak, his confidence took some hits early on and it took him a while to get to the stage where he felt comfortable playing for United. The problem is, now he is the finished article, it looks like United will lose him.

“That is the issue with signing young players from other big European football nations – at some point they will want to go home. It won’t surprise you to hear me say that I don’t regard any club as a move upwards after Manchester United, but if you were looking for a par, I would grant you Real Madrid and Barcelona.

“It looks like Madrid fancy De Gea, and that he would like the move, too. What a signing he would be, aged only 24. He could be their goalkeeper for the next 10 years, although I would offer a few words of caution about that switch.”

Real’s current keeper Iker Casillas has been with club since he was a nine-year-old boy – some 25 years – and despite a dip in form last season, the Spaniard has once again cemented his place as number one, and Scholes isn’t sure the World Cup-winner is ready to hand over the shirt just yet.

“It looks to me that Iker Casillas is not yet ready to step down as the No 1 at Madrid, and you could hardly imagine a more successful, well-established goalkeeper than the man who has won everything for club and country,” Scholes added.

“At United, David is the undisputed No 1. He is loved by the supporters and valued by his team-mates. It might not be quite so smooth at Madrid.”

Scholes, who spent 22 years on the books at United, also believes that if De Gea does decide to leave then Louis van Gaal should attempt to sign Chelsea’s wantaway keeper Petr Cech, who is now playing second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois.

“If De Gea does go, United should sign Petr Cech. I remember the effect Edwin van der Sar had on the club when he arrived in 2005. United had struggled since Peter Schmeichel to find a really commanding goalkeeper. Fabien Barthez was the closest we got. Edwin came ready-made. He was a Champions League winner, he had four years’ Premier League experience with Fulham, and in the end our manager got six extremely successful years out of him,” Scholes said.