Real Madrid Transfer News: David De Gea Deal Promised, Gareth Bale Rumours Fade

Rumours linking Real Madrid with a move for Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea refuse to go away, but according to the latest reports, star winger Gareth Bale will not be used to lure the Spain international to Los Blancos.

According to the Daily Star's Paul Hetherington, Real are preparing an offer set to break the record for the highest transfer fee ever paid for a stopper in order to bring De Gea into the fold:

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Spanish sources have told the Daily Star Sunday that Real see De Gea, 24, as the successor to Iker Casillas.

And one influential source said: “De Gea will be at Real Madrid next season.”

As United have discovered in the past, particularly with Cristiano Ronaldo, Real have a habit of getting their man.

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Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon currently is the most expensive goalkeeper ever signed, moving to the Bianconeri from Parma in 2001 for a fee of about £32 million, via the Independent. De Gea currently holds the British record, according to Hetherington.

Such an offer would eliminate the possibility of the Red Devils landing Bale in some sort of swap-plus-cash deal, as previously rumoured by Marca:

United recently signed former Barcelona star Victor Valdes to a deal, a move that many interpreted as a sign De Gea could be leaving the club at some point in 2015.

Bleacher Report's Ryan Bailey and Alex Dimond discussed the possibility in the wake of the signing, and they came to the same conclusion:

Dimond suggests the profits of De Gea's sale could then be used in a move for Wales international Bale, who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford virtually since the day he signed for Los Blancos.

The latter has given no indication of wanting to leave the Spanish capital, however, and having only recently joined the club in a high-money transfer, one has to assume Los Blancos aren't looking to sell, either.

It's not as if Bale hasn't produced for the Champions League holders, as evidenced by this statistic, courtesy of WhoScored.com:

In the era of Financial Fair Play, only a handful of players are truly not for sale. As long as a potential bid is high enough and gives a club the chance to level the books ahead of making their own splash move, even the top players can be made available.

But as Dimond explained in the video, it's very rare to see swap deals involving two high-profile players. The intricacies of such a move are simply too complicated to make for a smooth transaction—it's far easier to complete one move and start working on the next.

Bale remains a vital part of manager Carlo Ancelotti's starting XI, while De Gea is United's unquestioned No. 1. Neither club is looking to sell—it will be up to the players to either force a move or stay put.

Of the two proposed deals, De Gea's move to Madrid still seems the more likely, and the absence of Bale's name in these latest reports seems to support this line of thinking. United won't be happy parting with De Gea without receiving the star winger in return, however, so expect to read plenty more reports and rumours in the coming days.

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