Real Madrid Transfer News: David De Gea Rumours Ended by Augusto Batalla Deal

Real Madrid have reportedly ended their pursuit of goalkeeping target David De Gea after a season-long loan deal for River Plate's Augusto Batalla was confirmed. 

Los Blancos have been linked with Manchester United's De Gea for some time now, per Metro, as they prepare to replace long-term stopper Iker Casillas.

A £50 million move from Real for the Spaniard was expected in the summer, but news of Batalla's loan deal, confirmed by River Plate president Rodolfo D'Onofrio, suggests that may no longer be the case, per the Daily Express' Joe Short.

"The contract is still not signed," D'Onofrio said, "but in June Augusto Batalla will go to Real Madrid for a year, with the option to buy for a high price at the end of that year."

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The 18-year-old Batalla is highly rated, and the Argentine will join Casillas, Keylor Navas and Pacheco in Real's goalkeeping ranks.

Navas finally replaced the out-of-form Casillas on Sunday night as Real beat Levante 2-0 in La Liga, the Costa Rican having been starved of opportunities since his summer move to the Bernabeu, per AS:

The addition of Batalla would certainly seem to suggest that Real will not be looking for a further addition in between the posts in the summer.

As Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher notes, a move from Real for De Gea in the summer had seemed obvious and inevitable:

He has been arguably the Premier League's best player this season, keeping United in with a chance of finishing the season in the top four, and he is the heir apparent to the rapidly declining Casillas in the Spanish international side.

De Gea's contract at Old Trafford runs only until the summer of next year, and the lack of any extension to his current deal seemed to suggest an imminent departure.

However, it now looks as though Real will hold off on a bid for the 24-year-old, at least for now, and United will surely be desperate to tie him down to a lengthy contract as soon as possible. 

Real may well return for De Gea in the future, as Casillas' current replacement is certainly not clearly obvious, Batalla and Navas both largely untested at the highest level.