REAL MADRID SHUTS DE GEA - NAVAS TO MANCHESTER UNITED

With only hours available before the "Transfer Market" shuts at midnight, Spanish Football Club Real Madrid is close to shutting a transfer deal with Manchester United for their Spanish International goalkeeper David De Gea. 

Latest from local media is that a deal has been struck between Clubs with some details still to be tied. The transfer price is speculated to be around 30M€, while current Real Madrid goalie Keylor Navas enters the operation (valued at around 12-15€) to substitute De Gea at Manchester United.

The initial problem was that Keylor Navas did not wish to move & go to United. However, the English Club has offered to double his salary (to around 5-6M€) & basically assure him a starting place on the team. This has apparently soften up Navas & his position to finally accept the change of Clubs. Navas knows that there is no room for him & De Gea competing for the one goalkeeper position, & that the arrival of De Gea would lead him to spend bench time, something Navas wishes to avoid at all costs.

From a personal view, the best option would have been to wait a further year to have De Gea arrive to Real Madrid free of transfer fee, however Real Madrid gave De Gea their word for this season & the Club wishes to keep it. The problem is De Gea comes terribly below form & will need time to adapt, added with the huge pressure on the young mans shoulders to live up to the expectations. Keylor Navas has left a good impression at the Club & with fans & his shoes will be hard to fill initially.

It is expected an official Clubs announcement in coming hours. Better to read that it is all official as anything can still happen. Stay tuned!

Latest : As warned above the De Gea - Navas transfer made an unexpected turn late tonight. Due to the late arrival of the transfer documentation of both Clubs at the Spanish Liga Headquarters, the De Gea operation (for now... barring UEFA-FIFA intervention) WILL NOT GO THROUGH. Said differently, the needed documentation arrived pass the 00.00 deadline thus keeping DE GEA at Manchester United & Keylor Navas at Real Madrid. Comical or tragic there has been a mix-up, or not, with the whole operation.

Therefore, De Gea - if nothing changes - will stay one more season at Manchester United & arrive FREE next season to Real Madrid. Thanks to Van Gaal Manchester United has lost out on 30M€ which will possibly make shareholders at the Club somewhat angry. Manchester United claim they sent documentation to Madrid before the 00.00 deadline & that Real Madrid failed to place papers at Liga HQ before 00.00

More details in coming days.

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REAL MADRID ANNOUNCES KEYLOR NAVAS SIGNING

Spanish Football Club Real Madrid CF has officially announced via their Website that they have signed Costa Rica International & Levante goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Real Madrid pays Levante the 10M€ contract release clause & summons the player to Madrid to be officially presented to Spanish & World media on Tuesday. 

The signing was a fact for the last 3 weeks but Real Madrid has had to "solve" its own over-booking in the goal area with Iker Casillas & Diego Lopez. Real Madrid has finally decided to go with Iker Casillas & has pressured Diego Lopez to find a Club elsewhere to exercise his profession. Diego Lopez is currently fixing the details of his exit with the Club & it seems that AC Monaco could be his new destination.

Keylor Navas is expected to give heavy competition to Iker Casillas so that the latter can lift his lost form. Watching past matches from Iker Casillas & yesterdays poor performance in the Friendly against Manchester United, Iker Casillas will have to work hard to keep his place. Most local Football observers acknowledge that the forced exit of Diego Lopez follows political issues & not for Sporting reasons. 

Good luck to Keylor Navas with his new Sporting & Football adventure. 

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REAL MADRID SIGNS KEYLOR NAVAS FROM LEVANTE

Mayor bombshell that has saturated the front pages of most Spanish Sports daily´s & media today. According to "Marca" REAL MADRID CF has paid the 10M€ contract release clause for 27 year old Costa Rica International & Levante goalkeeper KEYLOR NAVAS. Spanish newspaper "Abc.es" gives details like a 5 year contract with a 2,5M€ net salary/season. All the above has important ramifications for the Real Madrid Goalkeeping area as it will force either Iker Casillas or Diego Lopez to have to leave the Club. 

The Spanish Sports paper "Marca" bets that Diego Lopez will leave to either Italian Club Napoli or to Monaco. Both are very insistent with the possibility of signing Diego Lopez. However, things are not as clear as one would expect & this news piece opens up a variety of unexpected possibilities which still may surprise all of us. 

What seems clear is that Real Madrid wishes to avoid this new season the ongoing debate & continual controversy of Iker Casillas vs Diego Lopez that has split the Club fanbase & fuelled media the last 12 months. 

Earlier last month Spanish TV "Antenna 3" advanced that Real Madrid would sell both Iker Casillas & Diego Lopez, & substitute for Keylor Navas & RCD Espanyol goalie Kiko Casillas. The media source was criticised for announcing  an over exaggerated "prediction" that now seems to be at least a half truth. 

Other sources indicated that Iker Casillas is currently doubting whether to continue at Real Madrid for next season. His bad performance in the Champions League Final, World Cup & continuing criticism has made the apparent interest from Arsenal FC & Paris St Germain a possibility. His Club team-mate Diego Lopez has told his inner circle that he has no intention of leaving Real Madrid & feels better than last season to keep fighting for the Clubs Nº1 goalie position. 

All this leaves open the following upcoming scenarios:

• Although "Marca" gives the scoop of Real Madrid signing Keylor Navas, we need to wait for an official Club announcement,
• The arrival of Keylor Navas will cause either Diego Lopez or Iker Casillas to leave the Club,
• Most media sources speculate that Diego Lopez will leave for either Napoli or Monaco,
• Iker Casillas leaving instead has gained strength in the last days. Club candidates are Arsenal FC or Paris St Germain,
• The possibility of both Diego Lopez & Iker Casillas leaving is still a viable option,
• If both leave, the new look Real Madrid goalkeepers would be Keylor Navas & Kiko Casillas (from RCD Espanyol).

As you can read big news if it is confirmed that Real Madrid has signed Keylor Navas, & a big "revolution" with the Real Madrid goalkeeping positions.

Who will leave? Diego Lopez or Iker Casillas? Both? Stay tuned?

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KEYLOR NAVAS - IVAN RAKITIC ON AT MADRID AGENDA FOR NEXT SEASON ?

Two players who are having outstanding seasons with their respective Clubs; goalkeeper Keylor Navas (Levante) & Ivan Rakitic (Sevilla FC) are said to be signing objectives of Spanish Football Club Atletico de Madrid for next season.

The first is Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas who Atletico de Madrid sees as the ideal replacement for Courtois if he was to return to Chelsea FC next season. The player has a stiff contract release clause of around 10M€ & Atletico are hoping that Levante will sit down & negotiate.

The second is Croatian international & Sevilla FC midfielder Ivan Rakitic. This option is even more difficult as Sevilla does not wish to let their current Captain go & there are English Premier League Clubs also interested. The player ends contract in 2015 & knows that Atletico de Madrid is very interest in his services for next season. Atletico would wish to negotiate with Sevilla but prefers to wait until the player himself takes the initiative & pronounces his desire to go to Madrid. 

Both cases are excellent signing prospects which would make any Football Club stronger, & more so the already powerful Atletico de Madrid team which looks to reinforce & consolidate its jump in quality & in European Football.

Stay tuned! 

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