5 things Real Madrid should do to sign David de Gea 

#4 Get Him Pictured in a Madrid Shirt (Well, it seems to work for Barcelona!)

Cesc Fabregas pictured officially (this time) with a Barcelona shirt.

There is no clearer way for a player to signal their intention to move to another club than by being pictured in that club’s shirt.

Barcelona are masters in getting other team’s players to wear their shirts. Cesc Fabregas had one forcibly thrust over his head while at Arsenal and later moved to the Camp Nou, while there have been a couple of more recent incidents.

Atletico Madrid and Gremio have both complained to FIFA after Antoine Griezmann and Arthur respectively were photographed in Barcelona shirts.

So perhaps Real Madrid should follow a similar tactic. It will be hard. De Gea's reactions are sharp and it would probably need at least a couple of conspirators to hold him down. But it would only take a moment. A shirt half on, a swift selfie and bob’s your uncle: a media storm.