Why Real Madrid Will Not Regret Not Signing David De Gea

The blame game will stop eventually, and David De Gea will return to the Manchester United goal— probably in the grand setting of Saturday evening’s clash at home to Liverpool.

Sergio Romero’s unconvincing display in the defeat at Swansea City and De Gea’s remarkable performance in the 3-0 win in the fixture with the Reds last season combine to make the perfect melting-pot mixture, with Old Trafford doubtless ready to welcome back a player it thought it had seen the last of for what is still English football’s biggest match.

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But while the recriminations and the questions might still be going on at Real Madrid, the fact remains another season in Manchester won’t really do De Gea any harm at all.

He’s still just 24—a whippersnapper in goalkeeping terms—and with the evidence there for all to see of his improvement in the United goal over the past couple of seasons, won’t Real actually just be getting a better player on a free transfer in a year’s time?

De Gea, too, can expect to earn one of the huge signing-on fees commonplace when free agents switch clubs, and he could well be moving to the Bernabeu as Spain’s No. 1 if he retains his focus over the campaign and consequently takes his place in goal for the Euro 2016 finals in France.

So far, it’s proving difficult to see who the losers are in all of this, but that’s because it’s not quite clear which party that’ll be just yet. All of that depends on the two men in the centre of the drama on deadline day.

Keylor Navas is a fine goalkeeper, but he isn’t De Gea.

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He is, however, capable of playing a season for Real Madrid as they chase domestic and Champions League glory. The Costa Rican will feel as though he has earned his shot at that through his combined 10 years of hard work in his homeland with Saprissa and in Spain for Albacete and Levante.

There won’t be a more motivated player in the Real Madrid squad this season, as Navas effectively knows this is going to be his only year as the Real No. 1. This is it. There won’t be any more.

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Perform well, pick up a trophy or two and then head off somewhere else—perhaps Manchester United—safe in the knowledge he did all he could. He’ll be able to hold his head up high. It is he, more than De Gea, who has the easier task.

Because the Spaniard will face the scrutiny of the press, the fans, his manager and even the opposition as he takes his place back in the United goal.

Everyone knew he was dreaming of pulling the Real Madrid goalkeeper’s jersey on all summer—and indeed, he probably still is—but it is how he reacts to this setback that will define how he does this season.

In Romero, Louis van Gaal has an able if error-prone deputy, a player he clearly trusts enough to pick him ahead of De Gea should he ever wish to.

What United’s No. 1 has to be aware of is the attention his game will now get, with every error—and every goalkeeper makes them, even ones as good as him—scrutinised and used as evidence that his head is somewhere down the Plaza Mayor.

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Liverpool are certain to test his temperament on Saturday, firing in shots from distance and perhaps using Christian Benteke to try and physically unsettle him, but if he can come through that test and prove his commitment to the cause, then United supporters will be delighted.

In some way Real’s should be too.

The failure to sign De Gea was a spectacular mess-up on Real’s part, but it need not be a fatal one if both he and Navas remain focused for the campaign ahead.

The first evidence of whether they are comes on Saturday, as United host Liverpool and Real go to Espanyol.

Everyone thought these two would be in different shirts. Now it is time to prove they are still committed to their current ones.