Real Madrid Transfer News: David De Gea and Eden Hazard Double Blow

Ander Herrera believes Manchester United star David De Gea will not move to Real Madrid during the summer transfer window, and Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink has moved to quiet speculation surrounding Eden Hazard.

De Gea came close to joining Los Blancos last summer and has been linked with the Spanish giants throughout the season. Herrera believes his strong form shows he’s happy at Old Trafford, however, and the team can be “optimistic,” per Marc Williams of the Daily Star:

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He is the number one in the world. In England you know that, but in the rest of the world they think they have better goalkeepers — but I don’t think so.

When we win titles or trophies I think he will be more recognised. ...

I think he is very happy in Manchester United. You can see that.

If you are not happy in one place you cannot play like that, so it’s easy to say that.

We can be calm and optimistic, first because he is in a fantastic club and if we start winning trophies, it’s easier to keep world class players.

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The 25-year-old left the Spanish capital in 2011, moving from Atletico Madrid to Manchester. After a rough start to his Premier League career, he became the Red Devils’ unquestioned starter and established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

While United have taken a step back in the last three years, the Spain international has taken leaps forward. According to player representative Christopher Atkins, he has become an “irreplaceable” player for the club:

Saturday’s FA Cup win over Everton perfectly showed De Gea’s value. United’s defence struggled dealing with the pace of Romelu Lukaku throughout the match, but De Gea saved his team on multiple occasions and even stopped a penalty.

That performance rightly drew praise from pundits, with MailOnline’s Adam Crafton taking it one step further:

De Gea’s fantastic stretch of play is great news for United but will catch the eye of other clubs. And while Real don’t necessarily need a new goalkeeper, as Keylor Navas has enjoyed a fine season of his own, their interest in De Gea will not have simply vanished.

Navas is a great stopper, but De Gea is currently in the conversation of the greatest goalkeepers in the game today. He’s a local hero and Spain’s starter of the future, adding to his value for a club like Los Blancos.

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

Expect Real to try to land him again this summer, knowing they have a capable option in goal if they can’t. With United unlikely to make the UEFA Champions League, Los Blancos will present an even more tantalising transfer destination this time around.

Elsewhere, Hiddink states that star winger Hazard is still happy with Chelsea, casting doubt over whether or not the Belgian will chase a move this summer, per James Riach of the Guardian:

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After having a bad season normally you are a little bit touched, a little bit hurt as a player and I think he has the capacity to gain it back in the coming years. I don’t know exactly but he has some more years to go [on his contract].

What I know he is very happy with everything in Chelsea and around Chelsea. He is very important and if he is fit as he is today showing, not fully fit, he will be very important again next season.

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The 25-year-old has endured a nightmare campaign in London and has been linked with moves away from the club throughout the season. Real are often mentioned as the favourites to land his signature, and AS (h/t Daily Star's Rhys Turrell) previously claimed the two clubs were already talking.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Last year’s PFA Player of the Year finally broke his Premier League scoring duck against Bournemouth on Saturday, ending a miserable scoreless run. Jake Cohen of the Wall Street Journal shared this graphic of Statsbomb.com’s Ted Knutson, comparing his contributions last year with this year:

The graphic on the left shows just how talented Hazard is and how productive he can be, but the summer of 2016 would be a difficult time to get a deal done.

The Belgian’s value is as low as it’s been in years, but the Blues won’t be willing to sell on the cheap. They also have a new manager coming in, and Antonio Conte might want the opportunity to work with Hazard.

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