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Former Manchester City and Liverpool goalkeeper David James thinks that David De Gea did not move to Real Madrid because he feared that he wouldn’t be the first choice keeper had he made the move, The Mirror reports.
According to the ex-England national, Keylor Navas was the reason behind Spaniard’s decision to stay in Manchester. However, it is widely believed that Los Blancos will come back for the United shot stopper in the next summer transfer window, despite rumours that Navas is going to be offered a new deal.
James was talking in the Carlsberg Green Room at Ted1s Grooming Room in Soho and he said, "You look at Navas at Real Madrid, it's no wonder De Gea didn't go there".
"When you think that Navas is such a good goalkeeper that De Gea wasn't necessarily going to be the number one anyway.
"I think it was possibly a reason because Navas is awesome. He has been for a few years now.
I enquired a couple of years ago with Arsene Wenger, 'Why don't you go for Navas, £8million or £10million buy-out?' He had (David) Ospina on his card, he went for Ospina, didn't he?”
Navas is among the top three goalkeepers in the world currently
James also talked about Navas’ brilliant run of form as well.
He said, ”Navas has had an exceptional start to the season in Spain and justified my theory that he is up there if I say the top three - as a loose number - in the world because he is that good.
"I think he is better than De Gea, yeah. I think his all-round game, he's got a lot more about him. But don't get me wrong, David de Gea's performed at an amazing level over the last three years."
De Gea has been the best player for Manchester United over the past two years. It was his tremendous saves that kept the Red Devils’ hope of Champions League qualification alive last season. The Spaniard was also awarded United’s best player of the season for two years running. He is also considered as one of the best shot-stoppers in the business.
James, on the other hand, believes that De Gea looks good because he is forced to make a lot of saves. He said, “I do a lot of analysis and I've got a lot of friends in analysis: I've got a theory, I can't tell you because I haven't got to the end of it yet, but it's to do with a lot of goalkeepers having to make loads of saves and others not having to make loads of saves.
"De Gea seems to make a lot of saves for Manchester United.
"For a side that are supposed to be so good, I don't think it's just the midfield."
