Manchester United Have Themselves to Blame for David De Gea's Imminent Exit

It is now only a matter of time before David De Gea finally leaves Manchester United for Real Madrid.

For the last two months, most days have brought new stories and speculation about the goalkeeper’s future, whether it is about United’s tactics to hold onto him, Madrid preparing to make a formal bid or the Spaniard putting his Cheshire house up for sale.

Throughout it all, De Gea has remained silent, not wanting to offer even a smidgen of false hope or reassurance to United.

De Gea wants to leave. It is simply a matter of when.

But all of this is not news because De Gea has been leaving United since the day he arrived at Old Trafford in the summer of 2011.

It has been a slow process, but it is finally coming to an end.

Manchester United must have known when they brought De Gea to England as a raw 20-year-old that if he fulfilled his potential, he would return to Spain.

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It is a calculated risk for English clubs to lure young Spanish talent away from their homeland, for the best almost always go back.

The hope is that the player becomes good, but not so good that they awaken the interest of either Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Unfortunately for United, De Gea has done just that, and by becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Real Madrid simply can't ignore him.

De Gea is Spanish, and Madrid is his home city. His wish was always to return there as quickly as possible.

These last four years, Old Trafford has been a convenient stage for him to audition for a move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

It was an act of stunning naivete from United if they believed they could keep De Gea once he had begun to fulfil his vast potential.

If you don’t want to lose them, don’t buy young Spanish talent. 

The stark evidence of this was right in front of United in the same summer they signed De Gea, when another Spaniard, Cesc Fabregas, returned home to Barcelona.

In 2003, Arsenal managed to lure a 16-year-old Fabregas out of Barcelona to north London.

For the next eight years, Fabregas proved himself to be a rare and exciting talent and comfortably fulfilled his potential, playing over 200 games for Arsene Wenger’s side.

But it hung over the club like a dark cloud that if Barcelona came calling, Fabregas would be unable to resist.

Manchester United had been through a similar experience with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Though hailing from Portugal, Ronaldo still grew up harbouring a desire to play in La Liga, and even as a United player, he was frank about his wish to join Real Madrid.

He was always passing through United. It was never home for him but a place to squat until Madrid wanted him.

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United did well to harness his talents for six years, winning three titles and a Champions League before his inevitable departure for a world-record transfer fee in 2009.

English clubs don’t buy young Spanish or Portuguese talent, they simply have them on loan until Real Madrid or Barcelona decide they want them after all.

It is a harsh reality for English clubs, especially for United as the biggest of them all, because no matter how rich they become, they still can’t compete with the allure of La Liga’s two biggest clubs.

If Real Madrid or Barcelona bid for Juan Mata or Ander Herrera, Santi Cazorla or David Silva, all of them would quickly pack their bags and jump on the first flight out of England.

But United could have retained De Gea for longer than four years if they had been smarter and more proactive with his contract.

In 2011, De Gea signed a five-year contract with the club, but despite his transformation as a player, he was never made to sign an extension.

United should have secured his signature on a new contract in the summer of 2013 when, as the Premier League champions, they were in a position of strength and Real Madrid were not showing any firm interest.

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After a promising, but erratic first two seasons at Old Trafford, De Gea proved himself in the 2012-13 season, winning both the title and a place in the PFA Team of the Season.

He had banished any lingering doubts about his ability and deserved to be offered a new contract.

Instead, United dithered and now only have themselves to blame as De Gea enters the final year of his contract and is able to leverage himself out of Old Trafford this summer.

Despite their posturing, and reported stance they are willing to let him run down his contract, United would be mortified at having to allow a £30 million asset to walk out of the club for nothing next summer.

To keep De Gea for another season when he so obviously wants to leave would be neither comfortable nor healthy for the club.

And so United must now be prepared to lose their leading performer from last season, having once again learned the hard way you never get to hold onto the best talents from Spain or Portugal.