Real Madrid Transfer News: David De Gea's Girlfriend Admits Manchester Dislike

The long-term girlfriend of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has admitted she doesn't like the city, fuelling speculation the Red Devils No. 1 could move to Real Madrid.

Edurne Garcia, who lives in the Spanish capital, recently confirmed she isn't looking to move to Manchester, per football writer Andrew Gaffney:

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This perhaps adds to the inevitability of De Gea heading back to La Liga. The former Atletico Madrid star continues to be linked with a mega-money move to Real (via Daily Express), a side who are in obvious need of a new keeper.

Iker Casillas' loyalty is proving to be worth very little after his form has collapsed over the last two years. Madrid fans have jeered him numerous times, including a spate of boos after Wednesday's 4-3 Champions League round of 16 second leg loss to Schalke, per Zarif Rasul of the Mirror.

Although Los Blancos progressed 5-4 on aggregate, Casillas' slow reactions and inability to read the game contributed heavily to Schalke racking up four on enemy territory. De Gea offers the perfect antidote: he is young, possesses sharp reactions and has proven himself a regular match-winner for United.

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Former Liverpool centre-back and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher believes the transfer makes sense:

James Robson of the Manchester Evening News indicates Madrid's pursuit of De Gea "could gather pace as Casillas' form continues to plummet." He says the club are "already determined" to bring him back to Spain. Such a move would likely coincide with De Gea becoming the national team's undisputed No.1.

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Sky Sports' Guillem Balague believes De Gea could ink a new deal at United—his current contract expires at the end of next season—but this may only amount to a short-term solution. Balague spoke to Sky Sports' Revista de La Liga show in February:

"

So I think he will sign a new contract and become the best-paid goalkeeper in the world, ahead of Casillas perhaps. But that does not mean he will stay at Manchester United though, because it is quite clear that both (Victor) Valdes and De Gea’s finish their contracts at the same time in a year and a half.

And it is very clear that Real Madrid want De Gea. Now the problem is that Real Madrid will have to convince Manchester United to sell, and that is the second part of the story.

"

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De Gea once again showed his prowess during United's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal on Monday, making an excellent save from Santi Cazorla. The rest of the team continue to disappoint, however. Legendary United keeper Peter Schmeichel thinks other players need to step up, told to the BBC (h/t Robson):

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I kind of find it a bit difficult to comprehend that our goalkeeper is the best player we have in every game. It shouldn’t be like that. We should have our strikers scoring goals, midfield players being man of the match, but it’s David de Gea time and time again.

"

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The more time passes without De Gea inking a new deal, the more nervous United fans will get. His value will drop significantly in January 2016 if he fails to sign an extension. In a worst case scenario, he could even opt to join Madrid on a free during the following summer. If United are to receive a major fee, they need to get him to agree to hefty wages and at least a short-term commitment.

Garcia's comments could be key. It's difficult to suggest De Gea will opt to live apart from his girlfriend for too long, especially if he can receive a greater chance of silverware in Madrid. Sometimes, transfers just fall into place and make sense. With every passing report, it seems this is one of them.