Manchester United Transfer News: Latest David De Gea, Nicolas Otamendi Rumours

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has admitted he still wants to keep David De Gea, despite leaving the Spaniard out of his matchday squad for the Red Devils' Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur.

Speaking after the 1-0 win in which Sergio Romero featured in goal, Van Gaal reaffirmed his desire for De Gea to remain at Old Trafford:

Per Mark Ogden of the Telegraph, the Dutchman also said prior to the match:

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Manchester United have to pay for all the players at a certain amount. And what has [Real] Madrid offered? Then you are saying in a suggestive way that we have to be proactive, but we are asking money and they have to pay money. In the last few years, Manchester United has paid a lot and we haven’t received a lot of money, so no [we will not sell for an unsatisfactory fee].

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Van Gaal also added De Gea has been distracted by the ongoing saga over his future: "We have observed and seen in training, and matches, and he is not the De Gea of last year. He does his upmost best, but it is a difficult situation."

According to Ogden, United are hoping to receive at least £35 million from Real Madrid. 

However, as Van Gaal has hinted, Los Blancos appear unwilling to splash the cash on the 24-year-old despite selling Iker Casillas to Porto.

Spanish football expert Graham Hunter explained Real's reluctance on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show on talkSPORT: "They are 500 million euros in global debt, they are trying to buy David De Gea and won't go the extra mile to get him off Manchester United because of the cash, so they need the money."

Unless Real fund the purchase with the sale of one of their stars such as Karim Benzema, as Hunter suggests, or agree to a swap deal that includes Sergio Ramos, it seems unlikely that De Gea will make his way to the Bernabeu this summer.

The 'keeper's contract at Old Trafford is now in its final year, meaning Madrid will be able to sign De Gea for free in 12 months time.

While Los Blancos are known for getting their man when it comes to transfers, it seems they may be playing the long game with regards to the Spaniard.

United fans may well get their wish of getting at least one more season out of De Gea, while Van Gaal will have a year to convince him to sign a new deal.

Ultimately, though, De Gea will almost certainly end up at Madrid, but it's looking increasingly likely to happen next summer.

United Still Considering Nicolas Otamendi

According to Tom Olver of Metro, via Fichajes.net, United "are weighing up a £35 million bid for the defender."

Based on the Argentinian's incredible all-action performances last season, he may actually be worth such a large fee.

WhoScored.com highlights the defender's standout stats:

Sports journalist Jonas Giaever summarises the 27-year-old's key qualities:

The Red Devils' backline routinely failed to convince last season and were largely reliant on De Gea to bail them out of trouble.

Despite often proving a weak line defensively, Chris Smalling enjoyed widespread acclaim for his man-of-the-match performance Saturday:

While United may also call on Phil Jones, who at 23 still has plenty of room to grow as a centre-back, a top-quality defensive reinforcement is still needed to help United return to the glory days of old.

Otamendi is the perfect candidate, and having sold Angel Di Maria, the Red Devils have plenty of money to reinvest in the squad.

£35 million is a large fee for a centre-back, but the Argentinian's solidity and all-action defending ensures he would be a successful purchase for Van Gaal.