They did bend over but their incompetence scuppered the deal, mate.
4 Likes
Are you looking forward to Thursday night football in Glasgow pal?
Bollocks. If we wanted him sold, heād be sold. Realās behaviour did themselves no favours in their dealings with us.
I thought you, of all people, as an international BUSINESSman, would understand how it works.
Not really, mate.
Neither club is in a good place, Iāll be honest.
How did the Berbatov deal from Spurs to Utd go again?
1 Like
Youāre being pedantic now
They bent over, took it in the ass but never got their dime
Wake up FFS sake. Some people believe any old spin put out by the club they support. Granted Real Madrid were happy to wait until as late as possible to try get him for as little as possible but Manchester United blinked first and reinstigated talks on Monday. The fee was in fact quite lower than what they were reportedly seeking at the start of the summer, and included an overly generous valuation for Navas too rather than straight cash. Now theyāre left with a disenfranchised player who hasnāt played a competitive game yet this season despite being fit. Sure he might get his head around it and have a decent season but itās pure daft to suggest it was a clever strategic ploy United undertook to retain him.
3 Likes
Itās obvious he wanted to move to Madrid as much as it is obvious that United wanted him to sign a new contract (he has been their best player for the past two seasons).
If Madrid really wanted the player they would have made their move before the final day and paid the fee, if anyone engaged in brinksmanship it was Madrid and they ended up getting stung.
Madrid are now left with Navas who they wanted to steamroll out of the club.
The smart thing for United to do is put a new contract in front of De Gea with a ā¬40 million release clause, so Madrid can buy at the end of this season.
If De Gea refuses to sign, leave him in the stands, they will lose him for nothing at the end of the season anyway.
Del Bosque has already said that he needs to be playing to be in the Spanish squad.
2 Likes
Itās bizarre that you are willing to believe the spin that Madrid have put on it, yet are castigating people that chose to believe the United version of events!
Sky Sports was hilarious yesterday with Charlie Nicholas calling them a disgrace and an embarrassment to Le Tissier saying they did nothing wrong to Ballague blaming Madrid for the fiasco.
I donāt think anyone believes it was a ploy to keep him, Madrid wouldnāt pay the money until it was too late.
1 Like
My sources confirmed the Real Madrid version of events.
What do Real have to gain from the deal falling through?
Less Austerity for the average Spaniard 
I donāt believe your sources.
As an aside, where United did make a mockery of themselves during the window is going for the likes of Ramos, Muller, Bale etc. unattainable, unrealistic targets.
1 Like
They did not table a formal bid for the player until around 12.45pm, having spent the morning repeatedly urging United ā through agent Jorge Mendes ā to name their price for De Gea.
United reiterated that they were not selling and it was only after the low initial bid ā ā¬15m (Ā£11m) plus Navas ā had been rejected and a number of minimal add-ons offered that a serious sum of ā¬25m (Ā£18.5m) plus Navas was tabled. Aware that they would lose De Gea on a free transfer next summer and conscious that Navas was enthusiastic about a move to Manchester, United agreed to enter into negotiations.
Yet despite speaking at length to Navas, agreeing the terms of a transfer and having a private jet ready to bring him to their Carrington training base for a medical, there were ā by the United version of events ā a number of problems which suggested Madrid had second thoughts. They included:
ā¢ Real insisting that Navas should not fly to Manchester and did not need to be put through a medical, with chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez rejecting Unitedās demands for one until such a time that United had to agree to an exchange of medical information instead.
ā¢ Navasā agent Ricardo Cabanas disappearing out of telephone contact with United for three hours on Monday afternoon, until such a time that it was too late to fly the 28-year-old Costa Rican to Manchester for a medical.
ā¢ Real sending De Geaās transfer document to United minus the signatory page at 22.32pm, less than half an hour before the deadline
ā¢ De Geaās transfer documentation being sent to United again ā only this time with a significant technical change to the deal which made it far less attractive to United. This āmark-upā ā which was certainly enough to be a deal-breaker ā reached United with a mere 20 minutes to go before the transfer window closed.
ā¢ Real only sending the documents needed to cancel De Geaās contract to United at 22.55pm ā five minutes before the deadline.
By the United version of events, Madrid were entirely in control of the deal, by which De Geaās Ā£22m departure was dependent on Navasā Ā£7m arrival. Cabanas and Navas spent a substantial part of Monday afternoon at the Real training ground, putting them in a position where Sanchez could have pushed the agent into action. But United found Cabanas incredibly slow and unresponsive.
There was a sense of bafflement around Old Trafford as to why Real might not apparently want the deal to progress after all ā an impression that increased when the Spanish club did not take up Unitedās offer of FA support, and instead quickly conceded defeat.
It does not seem entirely inconceivable that a Marca poll published on Monday afternoon, which indicated that 90 per cent of fans may be against the Navas/De Gea deal, influenced Real president Florentino Perez. To have withdrawn directly from the deal at that stage could have alienated Madrid from De Gea and jeopardised attempts to buy him next summer.
United certainly did not find Navas reluctant to join them. The Costa Rica international seemed to justify their belief in him when he contacted them, disappointed to find that the move was in jeopardy and asking what could be done to resurrect it.
2 Likes
Thereās your spin right there pal. Also funny you use the word āreinstigatedā when both parties acknowledge Monday was the first time the clubs were in contact. Youāre clearly talking out your arse. Stick to trivial matters north of the border.
Can you show me where i suggested it was a clever strategic move by United? No you canāt. I said it was admirable to see United refuse to be bullied by Real.
Was it okay to let Monaco deep throat them?