Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on David De Gea's Manchester United Future

David De Gea’s proposed transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid is reportedly off after the requisite paperwork did not arrive at the Spanish Professional League office before Monday’s deadline.

Reports surfaced on Monday night suggesting the deal had hit a snag, but there were still some slender hopes preserved that the sale could be pushed through, per Spanish football expert Guillem Balague. However, according to Marca, De Gea will now remain a United player until January.

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The transfer saga has run all the way through the summer, but it seemed set to go ahead after the two clubs agreed a £29 million fee for the goalkeeper, per Simon Stone of BBC Sport.

As noted by the aforementioned piece, it’s unclear why the transfer fell down at the last minute, with the Spanish press blaming United, while apparently the Red Devils possess proof they sent the paperwork through on time.

According to Real Madrid sources cited by Duncan Castles of ONE World Sports, the documentation arrived just four seconds after the cutoff. It's also noted in the piece that “even to appeal is impossible," and that De Gea is “devastated” that the move hasn't come off.

Either way, as noted here by Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe, it’s pretty farcical that this transfer, which has been expected all summer, was done so last minute:

Now De Gea looks set to stay at Old Trafford in what is an awkward position for the player. Up to now, manager Louis van Gaal has not played him in any of United’s league games and while he is undoubtedly a world-class operator, it remains unclear whether or not the Spaniard will be utilised should his future eventually lie elsewhere.

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His return could also unsettle the squad dynamic, given how close he came to moving on. For De Gea, it’ll be a little embarrassing returning to training at Carrington following the international break. As noted by football writer OffsideLiam, Van Gaal is unlikely to give him game time unless he pens a new contract with the Red Devils:

This will be a big concern to the 24-year-old. He’ll be hoping to feature for Spain in next summer’s European Championships, but manager Vicente Del Bosque will be unable to pick him should he be sat in the stands at Old Trafford, as has been the case early on this season.

Spanish football expert Sergi Dominguez thinks a deal going through would have best suited all parties:

From Real Madrid’s perspective, while this late faux pas is a little humiliating, they’ll still have two goalkeepers of high quality in Kiko Casilla and Keylor Navas, who was set to join United as part of the De Gea deal, per Marca. De Gea would have been the club’s "galactico" acquisition this summer, but it seems inevitable that eventually he will become a Los Blancos player.

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Regardless of who is to blame for this mix-up, it looks like United are going to be worse off. Now they’ve been left with a star player who wants out and is likely to leave on a free next summer, are £29 million down and given what’ll surely be a strained relationship between the two clubs, little chance of bring Navas to Old Trafford before Tuesday’s deadline passes.