Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest Rumours on David De Gea and Mateo Kovacic

Real Madrid have given Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea a May deadline to make up his mind about whether he wants to move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

That's according to Neil Moxley of the Sunday Mirror, who suggested that Los Blancos want an answer from the Spain international soon so they can formulate their transfer plans for the summer. There is said to be a clause in De Gea's contract that "allows the 26-year-old to speak to Madrid if they offer £50 million."

Moxley continued: "Officials at the Bernabeu want an answer by the first week in May, otherwise they will turn their attention to Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois."

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De Gea has long been linked with a move to the European champions, with a deal falling through on the final day of the 2015 summer transfer window. Since then, the goalkeeper has signed a new contract with United and has continued to polish his reputation as one of the best goalkeepers in the game.

Here's a look at how he compares statistically this season to Courtois, as well as Madrid's No. 1, Keylor Navas:

	De Gea	Courtois	Navas
Appearances	26	27	18
Clean sheets	10	13	4
Average saves per game	1.62	1.59	2.33
Average saves per goal	2	2.26	2.21
Claim success	99%	87%	94%
Punching average	8%	30%	39%

While De Gea is clearly a world-class performer, Madrid's pursuit of a goalkeeper will likely be fuelled by some uneven recent performances from Navas.

The Costa Rica international has been at fault in some big games in recent weeks, costing Madrid goals against Sevilla, Napoli and Las Palmas with lacklustre positioning. As OptaJose noted, he's struggled to replicate the sensational form he showcased in 2015-16:

As one of the best goalkeepers in the world, £50 million represents a fair price to pay for De Gea, especially given he still has many years left at the top.

However, according to Moxley, United are hoping to agree a new contract with De Gea that'd mean any suitors would need to pay around £70 million for his services. Perhaps that's why Real are keen on a quick decision from the Spain international.

Juventus Looking at Mateo Kovacic

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According to OK Diario (h/t Calciomercato.com) Juventus are considering Real Madrid's Mateo Kovacic as they seek to strengthen their midfield options.

It's stated that Juve have been long-term admirers of the 22-year-old, having kept tabs on him during his time in Serie A with Inter Milan. As well as the Croatia international, the Bianconeri are also said to be pondering possible moves for Isco and Pepe.

Kovacic would be a fascinating option for the Italian champions. As we can see here, he's enjoyed a decent season at the Bernabeu:

After joining Madrid in 2015, it was difficult to see quite where the playmaker fitted in amid their masses of midfield quality, and he made just eight starts in La Liga. However, manager Zinedine Zidane has entrusted him with more responsibility, and Kovacic has thrived in his 14 starts.

Bleacher Report's Karl Matchett feels as though the midfielder should be in the side more frequently based on his displays this term:

With that in mind, it's unlikely Madrid will be looking to move Kovacic on anytime soon.

The Croatian may not yet be ready to force his way into Zidane's best XI, with Luka Modric, Casemiro and Toni Kroos still ahead of him in the pecking order. But Kovacic has got a lot of playing time this season, and after a testing first campaign in the Spanish capital, it's easy to see him going on to have a bright future with the 11-time European champions.