What’s the story?
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is willing to let David De Gea join Real Madrid but only if he gets Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro in return. The La Liga giants are desperate to sign the Spanish goalkeeper and had come incredibly close to signing him in 2015.
Keylor Navas has not been at his best this season and there have been calls to replace the Costa Rican with a quality shot stopper like De Gea or Thibaut Courtois. Manchester United, on the other hand, are keen on a long-term replacement for veteran Michael Carrick and according to Don Balon, Mourinho sees Casemiro as the ideal player to reinforce United’s midfield.
Also read: Transfer Rumour: Real Madrid ready to activate £43m clause in David de Gea’s contract
In case you didn’t know...
Real Madrid have been linked with David De Gea for quite some time now and they will be desperate to complete the signing of one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in the world. However, Casemiro has been absolutely vital for turning around Real Madrid’s fortunes under Zidane and the Spanish giants might think twice about the swap deal.
The heart of the matter
Keylor Navas has come in a lot of criticism this season and Real Madrid have been linked with a number of top goalkeepers in the recent few weeks. Florentino Perez is reportedly keen to make 2-3 marquee signings this summer and one of his priority signings is said to be United’s shot stopper David De Gea.
Also, with the Spaniard’s family settled in Madrid, De Gea is also said to be keen on a move to the Spanish capital. However, with United demanding Casemiro in return, it will be interesting to see if the move does indeed happen in the summer.
What’s next?
Manchester United have a tough set of fixtures coming up and Mourinho will be counting on his superb goalkeeper to be at his best. Zidane will be keeping his eyes on the Spaniard’s performances and this might well become the transfer saga of the summer window.
Also read: Manchester United and Chelsea to battle it out for Real Madrid Superstar Casemiro, suggest reports
Author’s take
While De Gea is undoubtedly one of the top goalkeepers in the world, Casemiro’s presence on the pitch is invaluable and Real Madrid will do well to keep the Brazilian at the Bernabeu. The defensive midfielder is crucial to Zidane’s system of play and a swap deal involving cash + Casemiro is not too suitable for the La Liga giants.
