It's Time Manchester United Finally Stood Up to Real Madrid in Transfer Market

It’s tempting to put the allure of Real Madrid to David De Gea down as an illustration of how far down the food chain Manchester United are in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson age. Indeed, the Old Trafford team might pay the highest wages in England, but they are no longer the shimmering, gravitating proposition they were just a few years ago.

De Gea’s move to Real Madrid (if it eventually goes through) will have been motivated by a number of factors—the player’s willingness to return to his roots perhaps being the biggest.

Additionally, such a transfer should not be taken as an indication of where United are as a club right now. After all, this certainly won’t be the first time their best player has been plucked by the Spanish giants.

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David Beckham made the move to the Santiago Bernabeu back in 2003, with Ruud van Nistelrooy joining him in 2006. Then, of course, there was Cristiano Ronaldo, who became the ultimate Galactico by joining Real Madrid for a world-record £80 million fee in 2009. Gabriel Heinze and Javier Hernandez have also made the move from the north-west of England to the Spanish capital, although those switches were in different circumstances.

Nonetheless, Manchester United’s status as an elite club is somewhat contradicted by the one-way flow of talent between Old Trafford and Real Madrid—a supposed equal in terms of stature. De Gea’s move there would only underline that when Real set their sights on a transfer target, United are powerless to stop them.

Still, the way United and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward conduct themselves in the negotiation of this deal will set a tone for the club and their own transfer-market dealings before the start of the new season. Convincing De Gea to stay in Manchester might be unrealistic, but United must make sure that any transfer is completed on their terms.

In a sense, it would be about saving face for United and at least showing they can stand up in the face of another club trying to poach their best players. That might seem slightly immature and even irrelevant, but football by its very essence is driven by tribalism.

Fans need to feel their club is making good on its objectives—and United’s objective right now is to become a truly top-tier club once again. And top-tier clubs don’t sell their best players without at least a tussle.

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United appear to have recognised this, with recent reports claiming that they demand at least a player of Real Madrid’s to ease through a deal. Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and, most prominently, Sergio Ramos have all been linked with moves to Old Trafford, such as in the Daily Mail, as United apparently look for a way to not come out empty-handed from the seemingly imminent sale of De Gea.

The Old Trafford club are in a peculiar position of power. De Gea indeed has just one year left to run on his contract, but if Real Madrid are offering just £13 million—as was reported by Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail—to sign the 'keeper this summer, then manager Louis van Gaal and Woodward might judge another season of the Spaniard’s services to be worth more than that.

For a club that recorded revenues of £194.4 million last year, Real Madrid will need to twist Manchester United’s arm with a big offer for De Gea.

If Real Madrid really want De Gea that badly, they might have to part with a member of their first-team squad. A part-exchange seems unlikely, given the politicking that would come with any deal of that sort, although an agreement over the future sale of another player in return might be more viable. But United should also be wary of being caught short in that regard too.

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Angel Di Maria was the headline Premier League transfer of last summer, with United using his £59.7 million arrival as a statement of intention under new manager Van Gaal. But just under a year later, it’s clear who got the best out of that particular blockbuster move. Real Madrid are still counting their cash, while Manchester United continue to ponder how to get the best from their most expensive player.

Real Madrid recognised United’s desperation to make a headline signing last summer and took advantage—charging pretty much whatever they wanted for Di Maria's services. Woodward surely wouldn’t be foolish enough to pay that much for somebody else this summer—other than perhaps Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo—but he must be wary of grabbing whatever Real Madrid spare he can get. There might be a reason he’s going spare.

For the time being, De Gea’s proposed transfer to Real Madrid is one that grips the European game.

"I get asked a lot about him,” team-mate for club and country Juan Mata recently replied when asked about the future of the 'keeper at United, relayed by Rob Dawson of the Manchester Evening News.

“He’s my friend and I want him to be happy. He's one of the best goalkeepers in the world today. From a personal point of view, I want him on my team.”

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That, however, looks an unlikelihood. There is a certain inevitability about De Gea succeeding Spanish goalkeeping legend Iker Casillas at both Real Madrid and for the Spain national team, and when Real Madrid identify their next Galactico, they tend to get them—regardless of whom they play for. 

Manchester United, on the other hand, must consider the aesthetics of De Gea’s sale and what it might say about the direction of the club. It might not be fair to judge the Old Trafford club on the basis of this one transfer—particularly when it involves a player returning to his home city—but many will still draw conclusions from the move.

Apart from anything else, United must be losing tolerance with Real Madrid's swooping for so many of their best players. At least this time they might dictate the terms—giving the impression that, for once, they are big enough to have a choice.