De Gea to "Renew or Leave" As United Scout Patricio

David de Gea, targeted by Manchester United to replace Edwin van der sar, and current Athletico Madrid number one has been told by his club that he will have two choices at the end of the season: to renew his Athletico contract, or leave for United.

The 20 year-old Spanish goalkeeper had met with Athletico club officials twice now to discuss his future, but no deal has been agreed, and with 3 years left on his deal, the Spanish club are getting agitated. The Madrid Chief Executive Angel Gil Marin said:

"We have met with him to negotiate a new deal on two occasions." 

"He has a contract with Atletico for three more seasons, so it is necessary to renew it and reasonable to revise his salary, which is well below his current performance. 

"But at the end of the season there will be two choices - to renew or to leave."

The Sky Sports journalist and compatriot of De Gea's, Guillem Balague has spoken about the decision being in De Gea's hands, but that the player is still undecided. He sees Manchester United as a great opportunity and a great leap forward of course, but is comfortable in his home country and may yet decide to commit to his boyhood club.

The latest reports are that, if Sir Alex Ferguson fails in his attempts to bring De Gea to Old Trafford, he will move for the Portuguese 23 year-old goalkeeper, Rui Patricio. The Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in Europe, and it has been reported that former Sporting star Luis Nani has recommended the goalkeeper to Ferguson.

The Portuguese press stated that Ferguson sent his goalkeeping coach Eric Steele to Portugal over the week end to watch Patricio in action against FC Porto, and with a number of European clubs watching the player, Steele wasn't alone.

Patricio is not Portugal's number one choice goalkeeper, but he did win his debut against Spain, in the second half of a 4 - 0 win for Portugal on the 17th November 2010. If he joins United this summer, he will be fighting for one of the toughest number 1 spots to fill in Europe, with huge boots to fill when van der sar retires. A goalkeeper is certainly coming to United this summer, but it is up to David de Gea who that goalkeeper is: him, or United's insurance, Patricio.

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So What Is Happening With David De Gea?

It seems that some newspapers know more about transfer deals than the clubs and players involved in them. Manchester United will be buying a goalkeeper in the summer, that is a certainty, but who that goalkeeper will be is the big question. Will Sir Alex Ferguson go for experience in Manuel Neur, or will he go for the youth and promise of David de Gea? Most publications believe it to be the latter, as is evident with their headlines.

Last night the Daily Mail reported an exclusive story stating: "Atletico keeper De Gea to sign five-year contract with Manchester United as clubs agree £17.8m deal".

They went on to say: "Manchester United have agreed a £17.8million deal for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David De Gea." That sounds pretty solid, they sound pretty certain that United have agreed a deal, and De Gea is as good as gone.

However, you would think that if a player is involved in a £17.8 million deal with one of the worlds biggest clubs, he would know something about it, wouldn't you? You would think his agent, who is set to gain a huge some of money (reportedly 8 million Euros) would have told him something about this mega deal.

Well either his agent for some reason hasn't informed his client of Manchester United's proposed deal, or a deal doesn't exist, because the Spanish goalkeeper was quite certain that he has heard nothing from anyone:

"There is nothing, it is all lies." 

"I know nothing about offers from any team, whether it is other clubs or a renewal from Atletico."

"I have given my all to this team since I have been here, and that will continue today and tomorrow, I will always fight for this team."

"I do not think the fans have any reason to be against me, we have the best fans in the world and they will support me until my final day, for that I am sure."

So, straight from the players mouth, no deal has been agreed, or if it has, which is unlikely, the player doesn't know about it.

David De Gea is a very good goalkeeper, and as has been reported on this blog before he would be, in my opinion probably the best choice for Ferguson. At only 20 years old, he has the potential to be United's number 1 goalkeeper for the next 15 or so years, and at a fee of around £20 million, that seems a good deal. A deal may not be "wrapped up" already, like some headlines report, but United's interest is clear, and in the summer transfer window, those headlines might be reported again, but next time, with some truth in them.

Video: Manchester United Target David de Gea

Manchester United will buy a goalkeeper in the summer, that much is clear. Who it will be is the question, but if we are to believe reports from Spain and other sources, United have had a bid accepted for the 20 year old Spaniard, David de Gea.

He has been nicknamed by his Athletico Madrid team mates as "van der gea" due to his resemblance to the current, and soon to retire Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der sar. He is tall, agile, commanding and holds the invaluable quality of being able to keep calm under pressure. It is these sorts of qualities that Sir Alex Ferguson desires to replace his current number 1 and avoid the repetition of the last goalkeeping 'crisis' when Peter Schmeichel left United.

The United manager would also be hopeful to avoid the situation that Arsenal have suffered over the past five years - lacking a commanding, regular, consistent goalkeeper. Arsenal have recently received good news on this front, with another United target Maarten Stekelenburg being quoted as saying: "If an offer from Arsenal arrives, I will leave."

So with David de Gea being reported as United's top target, it is time to have a look at what United fans should expect from him. 29 games this season has seen him keep 9 clean sheets while saving a total of 121 shots. Compared to van der sar, his statistics are not all to bad. The United goalkeeper has played 28, kept 12 clean sheets and made a total of 67 saves. I suggest the statistics are heavily effected by the quality of the defences, but they are interesting nevertheless. Watch highlights of De Gea below:

Sir Alex Wants Stekelenberg at Man United

Rene Meulensteen, the Manchester United first team coach has reportedly stated that the Dutch goalkeeper, Maarten Stekelenburg is top of Sir Alex Ferguson's transfer target list for the summer as they look to replace the retiring Edwin van der sar.

United have been linked to several goalkeepers including David de Gea, Manuel Neur and even Liverpool's Pepe Reina, but according to Meulensteen, Stekelenburg is the priority:

"Stekelenburg is indeed a keeper who is at the top of our wanted list,"

"We naturally talk a lot among ourselves about who should replace Van der Sar. Alex Ferguson has spoken about Stekelenburg with Edwin, and that does not seem strange to me at all."

After having so much trouble in finding a replacement for Peter Schmeichel after he left United, Ferguson is understandably eager to sign a goalkeeper similar to his most recent successful buy, van der sar.

Stekelenburg and Van der Sar both began their career at Ajax - the club where Stekelenburg currently plays with around 186 appearances. During the 2006 World Cup, Stekelenburg was the understudy to Van der Sar while in the 2010 World Cup, Stekelenburg was the number one goalkeeper, and helped his country get to the final - conceding only five goals in the process. He did unfortunately end up on the losing side.
They also both have a large frame - with Van der Sar standing at 6 foot 6 inches, while Stekelenburg stands at 6 foot five and a half.

Despite the signing of Danish keeper Anders Lindegaard, Ferguson is looking for a proven, top quality, goalkeeper with experience in big competitions such as the Champions League. He has a pool of talent to choose from, and he will certainly do his best to get his decision right as he tries to avoid a repeat of the last time their number one left.

Kuszczak Wants to Play - Or Leave United

It looks like Manchester United will definitely be looking for a new goalkeeper this summer after their number two keeper said that he will leave Old Trafford if he isn't made the first choice after van der sar retires.

United have already signed Anders Lindegaard from Norwegian club Aaeslund, and the Danish international will officially join this month. However, Sir Alex Ferguson has been linked to a number of other goalkeepers to replace Edwin van der sar in the United goal, including Maarten Stekelenburg, Manuel Neur and David de Gea, with at least one of them sure to join the Red Devils. Therefore, Tomasz Kuszczak will find it increasingly hard to gain a first team spot at all.

The Polish keeper said:

"Of course I would like regular football. I need to see what the boss wants to do, whether he wants to play me or sell me. But definitely I want to play."

"Every player has his ambitions and I have mine. I have sat on the bench for five years and I need a chance to play more than one game in two or three months. You can’t prove anything like that."

It must be frustrating to see new players coming in and taking a place that you have worked for and waited for for so long - five and a half year in Kuszczak's case, and with only 22 appearances in his time at the club, his patience is obviously wearing thin. The 28 year-old started his first game this season in a rare occasion against his former club, West Brom, but the occasional starts here and there, sometimes in the Carling Cup or F.A Cup will not be enough to persuade him to stay, especially with young Ben Amos coming through the ranks.

His career isn't looking very stable at United, and his departure would guarantee Ferguson going into the market for a new goalkeeper.

Potential Young Stars of 2011

2010 is almost at an end and looking back there are many examples of young players who rose to prominence in what has been an eventful footballing year. At the turn of the year the likes of Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil, Gregory Van Der Wiel, Gareth Bale and Joe Hart were virtual unknowns outside of their domestic leagues. However, their performances in 2010 have propelled them to super-stardom and they are now widely regarded as being amongst the elite in world football. In this article I will be going through some highly rated youngsters in world football who I feel have the potential to propel themselves on to the world stage in 2011.

GK. David De Gea – Atletico Madrid

20 year old De Gea is a product of Athletico Madrid’s youth team. He made his debut for the first team at the age of 18 and has since established himself as Athletico Madrid’s number one. He starred in the team’s Europa League league success in 2010 seeing off Liverpool in the semi-finals and Fulham in the final. He also impressed in his team’s UEFA Super Cup victory over Inter Milan, saving a last minute penalty from Diego Milito.

Interestingly, in 2009 De Gea was fourth choice behind Gregory Coupet, Angel Bernabe and Leo Franco, however due to a crippling injury crisis, he was given his chance to impress, and has since established himself as first choice. De Gea has been constantly linked with a big money move to Manchester United as a long term replacement for Edwin Van Der Sar, and big things are expected from him in 2011.

RB. Cesar Azpilicueta – Marseille

Young Spaniard Azpilicueta made his debut for his hometown club Osasuna in 2007. He started off as a midfielder but eventually cemented his place in the Osasuna team at right-back. He has represented Spain at under-17, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels and was part of the side that won the UEFA under-19 Championship in 2007.

Azpilicueta’s impressive form in La Liga resulted in a growing reputation around Europe and he was soon being linked to moves to Barcelona, Manchester City and Arsenal. However, in June 2010 Azpilicueta completed a €6 million move to French Champions Marseille.


CB. Mikel San Jose – Athletic Bilbao

San Jose, like Azpilicueta, was part of the Spain side that won the UEFA under-19 Championship in 2007. He started his career off at Athletic Bilbao, but at the age of 18 he caught the eye of Rafael Benitez at Liverpool and signed for the club in August 2007. Although San Jose was a regular in the reserves, he found first team opportunities very difficult to come by with the likes of Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel ahead of him in the pecking order.

He was soon loaned back to Bilbao to gain first team experience. He truly blossomed in his second spell at the club and became an important part of the first team. As a result he left Liverpool and signed permanently for Bilbao. San Jose’s story is similar to that of Gerard Pique who struggled to make an impact at Manchester United, before returning to Barcelona and proving his class.

CB. Mamadou Sakho – Paris Saint-Germain

French prospect Sakho made his debut for Paris Saint-Germain at the age 17. Amazingly at the same age he captained the side and thus became the youngest player ever to captain a side in Ligue 1. Sakho won his first trophy for the club in 2008, playing the full 90 minutes as Paris beat Lens in the 2008 Coupe de la Ligue Final. Arsene Wenger is thought to be tracking Sakho’s progress and he was strongly linked with a move to Arsenal in 2009. Inter Milan, Barcelona and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest.

Sakho has been active with the French national team at youth level and he made his debut for the senior team earlier this year coming on as a substitute against England. His style of play has lead to comparisons with French legends Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly.

LB. Kieran Gibbs - Arsenal

Dubbed “the new Ashley Cole”, big things are expected of Arsenal youngster Gibbs. He made his debut for the Gunners in 2007 and has been threatening to break through into the first team ever since. He has a good amount of big game experience for one so young and started in both legs of the Champions League Semi-Final against Manchester United in 2009. Gibbs made his England debut in August this year coming on as a substitute for Ashley Cole. An area of concern for Gibbs is his terrible injury record, but if he can maintain his fitness, he could soon break into Arsenal’s first team at the expense of the increasingly mistake-prone Gael Clichy.


DM. Craig Eastmond - Arsenal

Eastmond, like Gibbs is a product of the Arsenal Academy. He is a versatile player who can play at both right back and defensive midfield and is known for his great tenacity and work rate. He is a regular in Arsene Wenger’s Carling Cup teams and starred on his debut - a 2-1 victory over Liverpool at the Emirates. Wenger is thought to be a huge admirer of Eastmond, in particular his “intelligence and reading of the game”. Compared to Gibbs, Eastmond has very little big game experience, and it seems he has a lot of work to do before he breaks into the Arsenal first team. However, given Arsenal’s lack of defensively minded midfield players, 2011 could present a big opportunity for him to impress.

AM. Sergio Canales – Real Madrid

Another young Spanish prospect, Canales started his career at Racing Santander before securing a high profile move to Real Madrid. In his first full season at Racing, he scored four goals and provided four assists helping Racing avoid relegation. His coach at Racing said that Canales reminds him of Rafael van der Vaart while some suggest that his technique is very similar to that of Madrid legend Guti. Despite his obvious talent, Canales has found it very difficult to break into Madrid’s first team this season under Jose Mourinho. He is currently competing with German star Mesut Ozil for a first team birth, and with the return to fitness of Brazilian superstar Kaka imminent, opportunities may be even more limited. He will probably have an even tougher task breaking into the Spanish national team with their wealth of attacking talent. Going out on loan may be the best option for Canales if he is to fulfill his immense potential and make an impact in 2011.


CM. Thiago Alcantara - Barcelona

Italian born, Brazilian raised and has learnt his trade in the famed Barcelona Academy since 2004. The belief around the Camp Nou is that Thiago has the talent to soon be rivaling Ballon D’or candidate Xavi for a first team birth, his passing ability in particular drawing comparisons with the Barcelona legend. Thiago’s ability has not gone unnoticed and earlier this year Manchester United and Chelsea were said to be interested in his services. However, he has since committed himself to the club by signing a contract extension to remain at the Camp Nou. Upon signing the extension, Thiago told the Barcelona website "I'm very happy for the confidence the club has shown in me. I hope to do even greater things in the B team and consolidate myself in the first team. Now I am one step closer to my dream: to become a great footballer."


FW. Neymar - Santos

Neymar da Silva Santos Junior. There was national outrage when this precociously talented teenager was omitted from Brazil’s national squad for the 2010 World Cup. It is reported that Brazilian legends Romario and Pele had both urged national coach Dunga to take Neymar to South Africa. This just highlights the huge expectations that have been placed on Neymar’s young shoulders from football’s most successful nation.

Inevitably, comparisons have been drawn with other players, past and present including current superstar Robinho and former great Pele, probably due to the fact that they both also played for Santos. These comparisons are very premature as Neymar is still very unproven. But his talent is unquestionable. He made his debut for the Selecao in August 2010 against the USA and scored a header in a 2-0 victory. He has been continuously linked with a multi-million pound move to Chelsea over the past year, so don’t be surprised if we end up seeing Neymar plying his trade at Stamford Bridge in 2011.

FW. Stevan Jovetic - Fiorentina

This young Montenegrin first caught my eye after terrorising Liverpool’s defensive pairing of Jamie Carragher and Daniel Agger in the 2009 Champions League Group Stages. He scored both goals in the first group game in a 2-0 victory for Fiorentina. He then went on to score two goals in the last 16 against eventual finalists Bayern Munich. Jovetic started his career at Partizan Belgrade and scored his first hattrick at the age of 17. He became Partizan’s club captain at the age of 18 before Fiorentina snapped him up for £7.3million in 2008. He has since taken Serie A by storm and a big money move to one of the giants of European football seems inevitable. Jovetic is currently injured having suffered a knee injury in pre season, but when he returns, the “new Roberto Baggio” should once again be making his mark both domestically and in Europe.


CF. Romelu Lukaku – Anderlecht

One of the most highly rated and coveted teenagers in world football, Romelu Lukaku appears to have the footballing world at his feet. At only 17 years of age, Lukaku stands at 6ft 4in and weighs in at over 14 stones. These physical attributes enable him to bully seasoned veterans week in week out in the Belgian top flight. He has also been blessed with formidable speed and he finished the top scorer in the Belgian league at the age of 16. He is also a regular for the Belgian national team and scored his first two international goals against Russia in November 2010. In total he has made 70 appearances for Anderlecht, plundering 32 goals and weighing in with 10 assists.

All of Europe’s footballing giants have been linked with Lukaku, but he has recently stated his admiration for Real Madrid duo Jose Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo and has stated that it would be a “dream” to play for the Spanish giants. This has inevitably fuelled speculation of a January transfer to the world’s most successful club.

Reserves

GK. Wojciech Szczesny - Arsenal’s Polish international goalkeeper recently made his first team debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arsene Wenger has said of him "I really believe in him that he will one day be Arsenal's No 1. He has all the qualities you want from a goalkeeper."

CF. Lacina Traore – Standing at 6ft 8in, the Ivorian powerhouse has made a huge impression in the Romanian league and has already won both the Romanian Cup and Supercups. He has been linked with a move to Arsenal.

AM. Eden Hazard – Belgian international Hazard terrorised Liverpool in their Europa League encounter in 2010. He has caught the eye of various clubs around Europe and it is reported that he has been personally recommended to Real Madrid by French legend Zinedine Zidane.

RB. Martin Kelly – A graduate of Liverpool’s youth academy, Kelly is a versatile defender who can play across the backline. He recently made his debut for the England under-21 side and has been tipped to be a future regular for the senior side.

CB. Jeffrey Bruma – This Dutch prospect was signed by Chelsea as 15 year old from Feyenoord. However he has had very limited first team opportunities and faces a battle to secure a first team spot with the likes of John Terry, Alex, and Branislav Ivanovic ahead of him in the pecking order. He may need to secure a move away to realise his potential.

CF. Connor Wickham – There are high hopes for Ipswich youngster Wickham. He has represented England at Under-16 and Under-17 level. He impressed at the Under 17’s European Championships in 2010 scoring both goals in the Semi-Final against France and a wonderful solo goal in the Final victory over tournament favourites Spain.

AM. Josh McEachran – McEachran played alongside Wickham in England’s Under 17 European Championship triumph. He has already made his debut for Chelsea both in the Premier League and the Champions League. Coach Carlo Ancelotti clearly has no doubts about McEachran’s ability recently claiming "He can play in the first team right now, without problem”.