Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest David De Gea, Raphael Varane Rumours

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and star goalkeeper David De Gea are set to meet in order to “clean the air” between the two, with the stopper expected to be part of the Red Devils' squad for the first time since his failed transfer to Real Madrid.

According to AS, De Gea will be in the squad for United's upcoming Premier League match against Liverpool:

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Van Gaal is set to be disappointed by new signing; Sergio Romero’s early season performances and is aware that the return of De Gea to his squad is a valuable asset.

Romero himself has admitted his concerns with De Gea’s return to the United squad after the debacle which saw his signing for Real Madrid thwarted at the last minute. According to media sources in the UK, Van Gaal is set to call De Gea into his squad against Liverpool when both sides meet at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

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As explained by AS, De Gea was on the verge of sealing a move to Real Madrid on the final day of the Spanish transfer window, but the move fell through when crucial documents weren't received by the proper authorities in time.

The Spain international is yet to feature for the Red Devils amid the ongoing speculation regarding his future, but he did star for La Roja in their 1-0 win over Macedonia.

After the match, he told reporters he is focused on playing football right now, indicating he is willing to return to the starting XI at Old Trafford, per BBC Sport (h/t uMAXit Football):

In his absence, summer signing Sergio Romero has been the team's starter, and while the Argentina international looked solid early in the season, he made himself unpopular with the fans with a shocking performance against Swansea City.

The ongoing saga with De Gea complicates matters, as it's unclear whether he'll sign a new deal with the Red Devils or move to the Spanish capital as a free agent next summer, but per the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst, that shouldn't really matter with Saturday's match against Liverpool drawing ever closer:

With the Euro 2016 tournament taking place at the end of this season, United have a powerful weapon they can use in order to force De Gea into signing a deal. The 24-year-old knows his chances of starting for La Roja will diminish if he doesn't play for the Red Devils―Van Gaal could continue to bench him and see how he reacts.

Football writer Liam doesn't think it's out of the question:

Real don't have to worry about the goalkeeper position for the immediate future, with Keylor Navas showing he's a capable stopper in his own right, but Los Blancos will keep a close eye on the De Gea situation.

The Spanish giants undoubtedly hope he doesn't sign anything, even if it means not playing, before completing his move back to Madrid next season.

United Considered Raphael Varane Bid

Zhong Zhi/Getty Images

More links between Los Blancos and the Red Devils, as Van Gaal apparently considered bidding for French centre-back Raphael Varane during the summer, and the club will return next year.

That's according to Le10sport (h/t the Daily Mirror's James Whaling), who claim the France international will be United's top transfer target next summer.

Varane is widely considered to be one of the top young defenders in all of football, and 2015-16 looks like it could be a major breakout season for Varane. He has started both La Liga matches for Los Blancos alongside Sergio Ramos, with new manager Rafa Benitez seemingly preferring the youngster over veteran Pepe.

Marca's J.L. Calderon thinks the current situation will last:

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The 22-year-old started to worry about his position last season, believing that his learning phase was over, after previously struggling to secure his first-team berth which raised doubts over his future.The fact that some of Europe's biggest clubs had come calling for the centre-back, offering far superior contracts than his Real Madrid deal, was a head-turner.

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Pepe's injury in pre-season reduced the shock factor of Ramos's alternative centre-back partner for the Sporting Gijon match, but the same pairing lining up against Betis despite Pepe being available raised a few more eyebrows.

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In the past, transfer speculation regarding Varane usually centred on his lack of consistent playing time, and so far, it looks as if that won't be the case in 2015-16. Los Blancos have yet to concede a single goal in La Liga, so there's no reason for Benitez to break up the current partnership.

It was easy to see why Varane could have considered a move away from the club, but as a regular starter for one of the best sides in the world, a transfer becomes highly unlikely.

Real have no interest in selling, and Varane has yet to give any indication he may wish to leave. The offers may well arrive next summer, but as of right now, it doesn't look like Varane will be going anywhere.

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