A De Gea move to Madrid could prove as unwise for United as it would be uncommon

By on January 21, 2015

Great goalkeepers are a rare breed; it’s a cliche because it just about happens to be true. Few come along every generation – the last belonging to the likes of Petr Cech, Iker Casillas, and Gianluigi Buffon, and before that Oliver Kahn and Peter Schmeichel. Herein lies every debate regarding David De Gea’s future lies.

De Gea is shaping up to be one of this decade’s greats, along with Manuel Neuer and Thibaut Courtois; however, with his contract is due to run out at the end of next season, it has been speculated that Manchester United might actually be prepared to let him go.  Indeed, United’ recent signing of Barcelona’s Victor Valdes has certainly helped lend credence to these suspicions.  Yet given the rarity of world class goalkeepers, an equal replacement with as much of his career ahead of him as De Gea could be basically impossible to find.

Even if United get Gareth Bale in return, which rumor claims they might if Real Madrid swoop in for the Spanish goalkeeper, polls have found that 95% of United fans would rather keep De Gea.  Based on this season’s performances for the club, it isn’t hard to see why — he has been nothing short of United’s

It is also worth pointing out that both of United’s toughest periods since the start of the Ferguson era occurred during goalkeepers  transitions, first after Peter Schmeichel and then following Edwin Van Der Sar.  Only now are United navigating their way out of the latest slump largely due to De Gea’s impact, so to let the goalkeeper could prove a disastrous move, not the least given the future he has ahead of him at the age of only twenty-four.
This leads us to the other question surrounding De Gea – given how few top goalkeepers leave their first big club until they are past their prime, how much would one sell for? Neither Schmeichel, Kahn, Cech, Casillas nor (possibly) Victor Valdes departed their first big club until they were well past their best days.  Perhaps the closest parallel to a De Gea move would be Gigi Buffon’s transfer from Parma to Juventus in 2001, at which point Buffon was in his early twenties and already the starting goalkeeper for Italy.

The lack of movement by great goalkeepers is such that Buffon’s €51 million (roughly $59m) transfer fee is still a record for goalkeepers. Even De Gea’s original move to United from Atletico Madrid in 2011, when De Gea was still somewhat unproven on the highest stage, was for £17.5 million (roughly $26.5M), ranking third on that list.

It’s common to believe goalkeepers are undervalued in the transfer market – as for disclosed transfer fees only Buffon’s move ranks in the 100 most expensive of all-time.   De Gea’s moving would be sure to add a companion, potentially setting a new record.  Moreover, it would probably set the market value for goalkeepers at least in the next five or so years as well.  Whatever happens, United need to tread carefully.
Photo credit: Flickr and Ivan Gonzalez

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.