David de Gea has been included on Manchester United’s summer tour of the United States but his presence will have no bearing on his long-term future at the club with Real Madrid still interested in signing him.
De Gea has refused to sign a new contract at Old Trafford and his current deal expires next summer. Iker Casillas’s move from Real to Porto at the weekend suggested De Gea’s prospective transfer to the Bernabéu might be firmed up and that he would not be named by Louis van Gaal in Manchester United’s squad for the four-match tour, which begins on Monday.
However it is understood that, though De Gea has travelled on the private jet flying the Manchester United squad to Seattle on Monday, the club are still open to the idea of brokering a deal with Real Madrid that would involve Sergio Ramos coming to Old Trafford in return.
Víctor Valdés, De Gea’s possible replacement as Manchester United’s No1, was not included in the tour party. The Turkish side Antalyaspor are interested in signing him but his agent denied the 33-year-old would leave United, something sources at Manchester United have also confirmed.
“Some people from Turkey called me to negotiate Víctor’s signing,” Valdés’s agent Ginés Carvajal told as.com. “But I’ve never spoken to the president of that Turkish club. Hence, I’m not going to discuss the comments he made regarding Víctor. I don’t know him.
“We have no intention of speaking to them again because the player does not want to go to Antalyaspor. His wish is to continue to play for Manchester United.
“He has one year left on his contract with the club. We don’t see any just reason to leave the club. United is one of the best three or four clubs in the world. Víctor is enthusiastic to have a place in the team for next season and is ready to give his best to help the team much more.”
United’s new signings, Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin have all been included on a tour that takes in games against Club América, San Jose Earthquakes, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Marcos Rojo and Ángel Di María have been given time off after participating in Argentina’s run to the Copa América final.
