David De Gea’s proposed move to Real Madrid has continually rumbled on for months now. Will he, won’t he? The truth is, none of us outsiders really know.

Speculation of De Gea’s departure occurs on a daily basis, from £13m bids to €50m price tags. So far nothing of real substance has been reported, which begs the question – Will De Gea actually stay at Manchester United?

Of course, it’s bold of me to ask such a question when De Gea arrived in Madrid just yesterday, but there’s genuinely a sense of belief around United fans emanating due to the latest reports that Manchester United will reject any bid for De Gea under £30m. After all, De Gea has nothing to lose and potentially a lot to gain by staying at United (a reported wage increase of 3x his current salary).

As previously mentioned, De Gea arrived in Madrid yesterday only to be met by a bunch of journalists asking him the obvious. The Spaniard simply replied with, “I’m just here to relax”. Or words to that effect.

So why would Manchester United continually reject Madrid’s offers for the keeper and risk losing him for nothing next year? Well, it’s quite simple really. David De Gea isn’t the sort of player to kick up a storm over not being allowed a transfer (assuming he actually wants to leave) therefore United can safely expect to get another solid season out of the 24-year-old. In that time, many different scenarios could potentially come about..

De Gea could make a U-turn, and sign a new deal at Manchester United. Real Madrid could become impatient and sign Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Madrid could also make United an offer too good to refuse in the January transfer window. Or, the goalkeeper could leave on a free transfer in the summer of 2016.

There’s too many ifs and buts to take that last paragraph seriously, but it really does beg the question, do Manchester United have the bottle to reject Madrid’s lame attempts to sign De Gea and risk losing him next year for free? Whether they do or not, I think it’s fair to say that it is well worth the risk.

For a goalkeeper who has had two consistently brilliant seasons in a row, single handedly saving United on countless occasions, it is surely worth retaining his services for a further year and taking a risk. Let’s assume Madrid’s maximum bid for one of the best goalkeepers in the world is £13 million – is it really worth losing a player who can save a team 10 points a season for such a small fee? I, and I’m sure United fans will agree, believe it is not.

De Gea’s presence at Manchester United is vital. He’s a player they desperately need to hold on to. It’ll be a battle keeping hold of the Spaniard, but it could prove to be a battle United are capable of winning should Ed Woodward tie him down to a big paying 5 year deal.

However, with Casillas’ glittering career surely close to an end, it would seem De Gea is the perfect replacement, and with Madrid being his place of birth, it could indicate this move is even more likely.

United need to stand tall and bite the bullet this summer. If they value De Gea at £30 million, and the Spanish side aren’t willing to meet that valuation, then tough luck!