Manchester United: 'Decisive step' in David de Gea move to Real Madrid as asking price drops to €35m

David de Gea move from Manchester United to Real Madrid received a boost on Wednesday 1 July after the Premier League giants agreed to reduce their original €46m (£32m, $50.9m) asking price for the goalkeeper to €35m, according to Spanish newspaper AS.

The Spain international has been tipped with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu in recent months to replace Iker Casillas, who is out of favour and expected to leave the club, with Rome his most likely destination.

Having only one year remaining on his contract at Manchester United, De Gea has refused to sign a new deal to commit his future to the club, with the likely aim of making a return to his homeland easier.

However, United have since refused to negotiate a cut-price fee with Real Madrid despite the fact that if De Gea does not make the move to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, he will be able to leave Old Trafford for free at the end of next season.

Manchester United Evening News recently said United manager Louis van Gaal would rather lose him for free in summer 2016 than let him go on the cheap now and had told Real Madrid De Gea will only move if Los Blancos pay a world-record fee for a goalkeeper – beating the £32m Juventus paid for Gianluigi Buffon to Parma in 2001.

But Spanish newspaper AS claims De Gea's move to Real Madrid took a "decisive step" on 1 July after the Premier League giants reduced the player's price tag.

The Spanish publication claimed that while the fee is very close to the €30m offered by Los Blancos, the negotiations are expected to advance further in the coming days to stop De Gea from starting pre-season training at United on Monday 6 July.

The United squad began preparations for the new season on Thursday 2 July but De Gea has some extra days of holidays after playing international football with Spain at the end of the last campaign.

AS claims all parties want to resolve the situation as soon as possible as points out that, if De Gea does move to Real Madrid, United will need to sign a replacement.