Manchester United Transfer News: Jose Mourinho Dismisses David De Gea Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has ruled out a summer exit for goalkeeper David De Gea despite interest from Real Madrid, saying the club has no intention of selling its best players.

De Gea has once again starred as one of United's most valuable players this season, and Mourinho spoke to Sky Sports ahead of Sunday's clash with Newcastle United, dismissing the idea of his No. 1 leaving in 2018:

"Do you think a club that is trying to attract the best players is the club that is open to sell the best players? It makes no sense.

"If you want to go to that level, we have to attract the best players like we did with Alexis [Sanchez], [Nemanja] Matic, [Paul] Pogba and so on, and don't let our best players go."

Sky Sports also referenced Real's reported interest in Thibaut Courtois—who recently confessed his "heart is in Madrid"—but when asked about his former Chelsea star's situation, Mourinho said: "I don't speak about Courtois."

Chris Winterburn of Spanish newspaper Marca commented on Mourinho's dismissal of the De Gea speculation and suggested it could be a sign the Spain international is set for a new deal at Old Trafford:

De Gea came close to joining Real in 2015 only for a paperwork error to scupper the proposed switch, and there is an option to add another year to his contract, which is set to expire at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Mourinho has previously referenced the club's desire to activate the clause and tie down De Gea to a longer deal, per the Press Association (h/t Sky Sports). Spanish football expert Guillem Balague recently commented on Real's hunt for a new stopper:

Costa Rica international Keylor Navas remains No. 1 at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, but it's long been suggested he could be replaced, as manager Zinedine Zidane has endured a tough season with Los Blancos.

While Real sit third in La Liga and haven't looked as assured as usual, De Gea has maintained his high standards at United and again arguably proved himself to be the best goalkeeper in the world, per the Manchester Evening News:

The 27-year-old arrived at United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has shone as the club's most consistent figure during that spell, helping the team tick over while other portions of the squad have gone through big changes.

De Gea sits among some elite peers in terms of shot-stopping this season and remains the Premier League's best in that regard, per WhoScored.com:

Mourinho is steadily building a new corps of superstars at Old Trafford, the likes of which might convince De Gea to stick around in the long term and see off any interest from Real.