KEY POINTS

  • Zinedine Zidane wants to stick with 30-year-old Keylor Navas one more season.
  • Los Blancos could make a move for AC Milan wunderkind in the summer of 2018, as he will be a free agent.

Manchester United's hopes of keeping David De Gea have been given a major boost amid reports claiming Real Madrid have given up on signing the Spaniard – and could instead turn their attention to AC Milan starlet Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Sky Italia and Spanish radio station Cadena Cope suggest Zinedine Zidane's side plan to stick with Keylor Navas for one more season and then make a move for the Milan youngster in the summer of 2018.

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Donnarumma, 18, has been seen as the most exciting young goalkeeper in the game since making his debut with the Milan first team at the age of 16. However, his long-term future in Serie A is up in the air as his current contract will expire at the end of next season.

Sky Italia reports officials at the San Siro fear the teenager is having second thoughts over signing a new deal due to the interest from Real Madrid in luring him to La Liga ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

This, according to Italian TV, would explain why his agent Mino Raiola recently rejected a lucrative offer from Milan worth around €4m-a-year to commit the future of his client to the Rossoneri.

Cadena Cope backs up those claims, adding that Milan are threatening to bench the youngster next season if he refuses to ink a new deal.

The Spanish radio station says Real Madrid's interest came about after Zidane demanded Florentino Perez keep Keylor Navas at the Santiago Bernabeu next season.

David de Gea
De Gea could continue at Manchester United one more season. Reuters

Real Madrid were expected to sign De Gea from Manchester United after the Costa Rica international had a shaky start to the season. However, Navas turned the situation around during the run-in and Zidane believes signing De Gea is no longer a priority.

On Wednesday morning (7 June) Marca reported Real Madrid were ready to end De Gea's transfer saga this week – either to complete a deal worth around €75m (£65.1m, $84.4m) or to give up on his signing altogether.

Just hours later the leading Spanish publication claimed Los Blancos have finally decided against signing the United keeper to stick with Navas for one more season.

Then, in the summer of 2018, Los Blancos will need to make a decision on Donnarumma as Marca understands the keeper has been offered to Real Madrid officials – presumably by Raiola.

Navas is already 30 years old, so a move to get the Italian starlet as a free-agent in the summer of 2018 would make more sense for Real Madrid.

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