The job of the goalkeeper is in many ways a thankless one. They can play brilliantly in many games, but go completely unrecognised, but one small mistake will put the limelight firmly on them. Ask any goalkeeper and they will tell you, just how hard it is to be in goal. That job becomes even harder when you are signed by a big club for a lot of money.
When Manchester United broke the British transfer record for a goalkeeper and paid Atletico Madrid £18m to secure David De Gea’s services in 2011, the pressure was well and truly on the Spanish shot stopper. After having to search long and hard for a replacement for Peter Schmeichel, before eventually finding Edwin van der Sar, Sir Alex Ferguson knew that he didn’t have the same amount of time to find a replacement for the Dutchman.
So when van der Sar announced that he would quit at the end of the 2010/11 season, the hunt was on, to find a suitable replacement. De Gea, who was described by Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque as the “future of the team” when he was still only a teenager, was swiftly identified and the deal was done after the keeper’s victorious participation in the UEFA U-21 Championship.
To say that the Spaniard found it difficult to adapt to life in English football, would be an understand. While there was no denying his undoubted quality, early in his United career, it looked as though De Gea would follow in a long line of good goalkeepers, who simply couldn’t cut it at United. But Ferguson’s faith in the Spanish shot stopper and De Gea’s indomitable spirit was slowly starting to bear fruit.
After a turbulent start, which many thought would lead to his ultimate demise, the Spaniard has gone onto become one of the best keepers in the world.
Such has been De Gea’s performances this season, that it is fair to say that without him, United wouldn’t be anywhere near the Champions League places. His performances haven’t gone unnoticed and his form, coupled with Iker Casillas’ slow decline has increased speculation that the Madrid-born keeper might move back to his home town and play for Atletico’s fierce rivals Real.
Some papers have reported that Real Madrid are interested in signing the Spaniard and are ready to break the transfer record for a goalkeeper and pay £35m to secure the 24-year-old’s signature. While that is only slightly more than the £33m Juventus paid Parma for Gianluigi Buffon in 2001, it is still double the amount that United signed him for, barely three years earlier.
The Red Devils who don’t want to part company with one of their prized assets have reportedly slapped a £50m price tag on him. While Real can certainly match that offer if they so decide, any deal for the 24-year-old would prove to be a bad move for United.
While there is no doubt that they would be getting a healthy compensation for the departure of De Gea, the lack of quality alternatives means that it would be foolish to let the Spaniard go, irrespective of the prize.
On current form, there is case to be made for De Gea’s inclusion as one of the three top keepers in the world at the moment, alongside Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois. Even if they sell the Spanish shot stopper for a world-record fee, the lack of a proper replacement means that the Red Devils shouldn’t even contemplate the sale of the Spaniard.
While the arrival of Victor Valdes is seen by some as the beginning of the end for De Gea, the simple fact is that Valdes hasn’t played a competitive game in almost a year. Letting the 24-year-old go in favour of the 33-year-old Valdes would be the footballing equivalent of replacing a brand-new Ferrari with an old yet classic Rolls Royce that is coming towards the end of its term.
Although Valdes can still play for another five years or so, even at his best, he wasn’t one of the world’s best keeper and there is no telling whether he can recapture his form on his return from a serious injury.
With a defense that is still struggling to find its feet, De Gea has been the sole crumb of comfort protecting them and on several occasions winning games single-handedly. His departure, in the absence of a settled defense would only spell disaster for United, who know what it’s like to not have a world class keeper patrolling the posts.
After sticking with him throughout his early misgivings, it would be silly of United to let him go now, when he is coming to the peak of the powers. After all, a world class goalkeeper is just as important as a top-class striker and in De Gea, they have one of the world’s best. Letting him go would be a huge mistake by United, because of not only his value to the side, but also the lack of a viable world-class alternative.