David de Gea 'on brink' of Real Madrid transfer eight years after move collapsed

10 August 2023 , 19:40

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David de Gea looks set to join Real Madrid (Image: AP)

David de Gea is on the verge of joining Real Madrid eight years after a move to the Bernabeu from Manchester United fell through due to a faulty fax machine.

De Gea is currently a free agent after his 12-year stint at United came to an end when his contract expired in June, with Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag wanting a goalkeeper who is better with the ball at his feet.

As a result, United forked out around £47m to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan as De Gea's replacement. And it now appears as though De Gea is set to finally get his move to Real.

According to talkSPORT, the 32-year-old is in 'advanced talks' with the La Liga giants after Thibaut Courtois suffered a serious injury. The Belgian international is set for long stint on the sidelines after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during training.

Courtois will undergo surgery in the coming days and could miss the vast majority of the season. As a result, it is claimed that De Gea is 'on the brink of signing' as a replacement, with Andriy Lunin the only senior goalkeeper on Real's books.

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

Back in 2015, De Gea was on the verge of leaving United to join Real in a deal that would have seen Keylor Navas make the move to Old Trafford. An agreement was in place, but Real failed to submit their paperwork on time and the move fell through.

Real then released a 10-point statement accusing United of sabotaging the move, stating: "In short, Real Madrid has done everything necessary, and at all times, to complete these two transfers."

The move comes after Thibaut Courtois suffered a serious ACL injury (Getty Images)

United then hit back with a statement of their own, insisting: "It is our understanding that the deals couldn't happen because: Real Madrid didn't upload David's documents onto TMS in time (Manchester United did).

"Real Madrid didn't upload David's documents to the Spanish league in time, per reports it seems some 28 minutes after the deadline. The fact that Manchester United filed the papers on time was acknowledged by the Football Association, who offered to support that claim in any discussions with FIFA."

Courtois then joined Real from Chelsea in 2018 to replace Navas and has been their No. 1 ever since, helping them win two La Liga titles and a Champions League.

Matthew Cooper