Real Madrid Transfer News: David De Gea Fee 'Agreed,' Fresh Sergio Ramos Rumours

Real Madrid's signing of Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is "imminent," with reports claiming the two parties have agreed a transfer fee of £28.6 million.

That's according to El Confidencial (h/t Will Giles of Metro), which claimed the Spanish international goalkeeper will sign a six-year deal with Los Blancos that will be worth a whopping £21.3 million. The piece claimed De Gea has already accepted the offer and is waiting on a "green light" from the Red Devils to finalise the move.

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As we can see here, courtesy of WhoScored.com, if a deal goes through, Los Blancos will be getting one of the finest young goalkeepers around:

The 24-year-old's capture could be part of a major face-lift in the goalkeeping department at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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According to Marco Ruiz of AS, the tough stance Manchester United has taken on De Gea has encouraged Los Blancos to pursue other transfer options, especially with Iker Casillas edging closer and closer to Porto, according to Tomas Roncero of AS.

The man who seems likely to come in is Espanyol's Kiko Casilla, who would be available for as little as €10 million, according to Ruiz. That's because of a clause in the 28-year-old's contract, who refined his craft through Real's academy. As Ainhoa Sanchez of Marca noted, Cadena COPE have claimed the deal will be done.

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Nooruddean Choudry of Joe.co.uk offered a typically comical standpoint on the situation:

The piece about a fee being agreed for De Gea is at odds with some local reports. Indeed, according to Stuart Mathieson of the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils are "digging their heels in" when it comes to their prized asset, insisting they want a world-record transfer fee for a goalkeeper if they are to sell.

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It's a saga that has been drawn out for a while now, and the vast majority of United supporters and Madridistas would probably be pleased to see it finally come to a close. But it seems as though, slowly but surely, we are edging towards a conclusion.

Real Eyeing Sergio Ramos Alternatives

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One way in which Los Blancos could expedite any potential deal for De Gea is by softening their own standpoint on Sergio Ramos, who, as Diaz reported, remains a target for the Red Devils.

The piece claims that Real are preparing for his potential departure, too, with Argentina duo Ezequiel Garay and Nicolas Otamendi both mentioned as potential options. Nonetheless, given Ramos' longstanding influence at the Santiago Bernabeu, you suspect the Madrid hierarchy will be desperate to keep hold of him as a priority.

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From United's perspective, bringing the 29-year-old in would be a major coup. But Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe admitted he can't see any potential deal materialising:

Indeed, Ramos is such an important figure for the club. Not only does he provide a dynamic and commanding presence at the back, the Spaniard is a leader, an aerial menace and a scorer of critical goals, too.

Nonetheless, Sport Witness noted that Otamendi, who had a sensational season for Valencia in 2014-15, might be the better option for the Red Devils at this juncture:

With that in mind, here's a look at how Ramos, Otamendi and Garay all compared in league matches last season:

	Ramos	Otamendi	Garay
Apps (Sub)	27	35	25 (1)
Goals	4	6	1
Tackles per game	1.7	2.9	1.2
Interceptions	2.4	3.1	2.2
Clearances per game	3.9	7.3	3.5
Blocks per game	0.8	0.8	0.5

Of the two players aforementioned, Otamendi would be the best replacement for Ramos. He's a forceful figure at the base of the Valencia side, relishing physical battles, bustling attackers off the ball and, like the Spaniard, chipping in with key goals from set pieces.

But Real should do all they can to keep hold of Ramos. With the legendary Casillas potentially leaving the club this summer, there will be a major void to fill. To lose another inspirational figure like the defender could potentially be a major hindrance for Los Blancos and would be a massive challenge for new boss Rafael Benitez in the early weeks of his tenure.