Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on David De Gea and Raphael Varane Rumours
Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores, the man who gave Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea his debut at Atletico Madrid, has advised the Spain international to stay in England despite longstanding interest from Real Madrid.
De Gea’s stellar potential was evident from an early age, and he was key to Flores’ side during his stint at the Vicente Calderon Stadium. With the Red Devils, the goalkeeper has cemented his status as one of the top young players in the world, and while the Watford boss is delighted with his former player's development, he had some worlds of advice about the future too, per Jon Harvey of Metro:
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"When I arrived at Atletico Madrid, he was third-choice keeper and after one month he was first, because he was amazing. I am really pleased with the evolution of David. He is in the top three best goalkeepers in the world.
He has everything. I got a present after two years when we separated—it was a watch, antique, golden on a chain, that I have kept—so he is a very lovely guy.
It would be perfect for David and for the Premier League to keep him in English football for long. He has learned a lot playing here in England.
"
De Gea did come close to joining Los Blancos at the end of the summer transfer window, before the deal collapsed in the final stages. However, despite the saga which disrupted his beginning to the season, the former Atletico man has been almost flawless between the sticks at Old Trafford.
Bleacher Report’s Rob Blanchette had high praise for the United man recently in the wake of another exceptional display:
Indeed, while De Gea clearly fancied a move to Real, playing regularly at United is not going to harm his progress. The Spaniard continues to make positive refinements to his game, has helped in establishing a mean Red Devils defence and is clearly content with life at Old Trafford, having recently penned a new deal.
It’d be a surprise if Real did not come back in for De Gea, although the form of Keylor Navas in goal has been supreme. Now with a new contract signed, Los Blancos must be willing to pay a little more than they did last summer; the United man would certainly be worth a substantial outlay, but the Red Devils will likely be tough negotiators after the furor in the previous window.
Chelsea Eyeing Raphael Varane
Chelsea reportedly see Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane as a “wiser choice” than Everton’s John Stones, as Blues boss Jose Mourinho seeks to bolster his team’s creaking defensive setup.
That’s according to Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail, who notes the Blues are set to be frustrated by the Toffees in their pursuit of Stones and are well aware that Varane may be a better purchase. However, given the Frenchman’s talent, significance at the Santiago Bernabeu and the fact he’s tied down to a long contract, Ashton concedes a deal is “unlikely.”
Here’s how Stones and Varane have fared statistically in the league this season in direct comparison to some of the finest centre-backs in world football: Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva and Jerome Boateng:
| Apps (Sub) | 9 (2) | 10 | 12 (1) | 6 | 10 (1) |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Tackles per game | 1.2 | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 |
| Interceptions per game | 2.1 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 1.8 |
| Clearances per game | 5.4 | 4 | 3.8 | 5 | 2.4 |
| Blocks per game | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.2 |
| Pass accuracy | 91.5% | 89.1% | 94.6% | 89.7% | 88.8% |
Needless to say, Varane would be a dream acquisition for the Blues. The Real Madrid man has been sensational this campaign after being handed added responsibility by manager Rafael Benitez, proving he has all the attributes to be one of the very best central defenders in world football.
The 22-year-old is also stamping his authority on the national team setup ahead of next summer’s European Championships in France, per OptaJean:
Varane had to bide his time for a full chance at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Benitez’s predecessor Carlo Ancelotti seeming to prefer the combination of Ramos and Pepe. However, this season he has featured in all of Real’s 11 La Liga matches, nine times from the start and twice off the substitute bench.
After cementing his status as a regular starter, the challenge for Varane will be to blossom into the best defender in the game at Madrid. Moving to Chelsea at this point in his career would not be an ideal way to expedite that process.
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