Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Victor Valdes and Keylor Navas Rumours

Manchester United are about to wave goodbye to David De Gea, according to Gareth Vipers of the London Evening Standard , but the Old Trafford club still has plenty of options between the sticks.

One choice could be the virtually forgotten Victor Valdes. He's now expected to stay in Manchester, according to the Daily Express' Bruce Archer.

The basis of the report seems to be an update Valdes has made to his Facebook page: "The Spain stopper has uploaded a new photo onto his Facebook profile of the Manchester United badge and set it as his cover picture. The former Barcelona man was expected to leave United after falling out with Louis van Gaal."

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

Sport Witness believes the change in status may be motivated by Valdes' dwindling options in this transfer market: "There's been no strong links of a move elsewhere, and with transfer windows across Europe now closing, Valdes' options are very few unless Manchester United release him from his contract and make the footballer a free agent."

The former Barcelona stopper recently saw a move to Turkish outfit Besiktas collapse, according to AS' Aritz Gabilondo. Issues concerning his wages and the duration of the deal reportedly caused the about-face.

Subsequently, Mark Ogden of the Telegraph suggested that Valdes was being pursued by newly promoted Premier League side Watford:

It seems Ogden's skepticism was well-founded. Either way, it's worth keeping Valdes around at Old Trafford, though his initial stint with the club hasn't been great, and not even close.

Back in July, Van Gaal claimed Valdes "doesn't follow my philosophy," after the decorated keeper apparently "refused to play" for United's reserves, according to BBC Sport's Simon Stone.

But the 33-year-old remains a capable shot-stopper with a ton of winning experience at the game's highest levels. That quality can prove vital for United's refreshed squad, especially sans De Gea.

Keylor Navas a Worthy De Gea Replacement

Bleacher Report's Guillem Balague tweeted that United are gaining Costa Rica international Keylor Navas as part of the deal to send De Gea to La Liga giants Real Madrid:

Replacing arguably the best player in the world at his position with a stopper who only really came to prominence at the 2014 FIFA World Cup may be a bitter to swallow for United fans. But it doesn't have to be.

Navas is actually a highly capable keeper. Mirror writer Sam Marsden identified "agility between the posts, the instinct in his reactions and the speed of his recoveries," as the onetime Levante star's primary assets.

Comparisons with De Gea are pointless at this stage. But Marsden did rightly state that Navas will at least be an upgrade over current No. 1 Sergio Romero: "Navas will, if not immediately, surely become Van Gaal’s first choice in time, and United supporters will feel safer to have him guarding their goal than Romero."

The Red Devils certainly need an upgrade over calamity-prone Romero. Navas will offer that. Getting him as part of the De Gea exit package actually represents some pretty sound business.

De Gea was never going to stay at Old Trafford, not once Los Blancos' interest got serious. But Van Gaal's squad is still far from short-handed at this vital position.

Navas and Valdes are two steady and reliable custodians who should serve United well over the course of this season. Expect Navas to take the top job, while Valdes and Romero will be on hand in case of emergency.