Real Madrid Transfer News: Fresh Keylor Navas and David De Gea Rumours

One of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer window may be a thing of the past, but new details continue to emerge regarding Real Madrid’s interest in David De Gea and Keylor Navas’ role in the move that never was.

Despite being labelled a makeweight in any switch that would have seen him swap places with De Gea at Old Trafford, Navas has said his only concerns laid at the Bernabeu, per Goal’s Peter McVitie:

"

I never thought of leaving Real Madrid. I always wanted to stay here. I am happy here and hope to stay for many years in this shape. The transfer to United was complicated, it is not a comfortable situation. But it's now over to me and I am just trying to be focused on the present. That's the only thing it matters.

I am aware the fans always backed me in any situation. 

"

Los Merengues may be somewhat disappointed after failing to capture the Spain No. 1 this past summer, but Navas’ form thus far in the campaign shows it may not turn out to be such a great miss after all.

Rafa Benitez’s side remain the only La Liga outfit yet to concede a goal this season, not to mention keeping Shakhtar Donetsk at bay to emerge as 3-0 victors in their Champions League opener, per Real Madrid facts:

Navas’ influence has been all the more important when one considers Los Blancos have struggled to hit their best scoring form at times this term, most recently grinding out a 1-0 win over Granada on Saturday.

The Costa Rica goalkeeper had a big impact in that valuable win and Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC went so far as to say Navas “saved Real Madrid,” which shows his value in De Gea’s absence:

Manchester United’s stopper failed to complete a deadline-day switch to the Bernabeu, and it was supposed that a clause in the player’s contract insisted he was due €10 million in compensation from Real as a result.

However, president Florentino Perez has come out to oppose such speculation and dubbed it “a lie,” hinting certain forces are working to tarnish his image at the head of Real’s board, per Spanish newspaper Marca:

"

Every day I've had to hear that we had to pay 10 million euros for not signing De Gea and that's a lie. They are the same ones who have been saying since I arrived that I would turn Real Madrid into a public limited company. 15 years later they are still saying it and they accuse me of corrupting assemblies.

"

Things have quickly turned since the proposed player-plus-cash swap crumbled on La Liga’s August 31 deadline, with De Gea performing a full turn and penning a new four-year contract with the Red Devils.

However, David F. Sanchidrian of Spanish newspaper AS revealed that new deal came complete with a €40 million (£29 million) release clause to give Real some hope of cutting a deal in future.

Jon Super/Associated Press

Should Navas continue in his current vein of form, Benitez will hardly be as desperate to make a move for De Gea and fans at the Bernabeu should grow to appreciate their Central American star ever more in the No. 1 role.

The pressure of a potential De Gea arrival might have crushed the spirit of some players, but Navas has responded to the entire ordeal just as Real will have wanted and is enjoying the best form of his career to date.