Manchester United have today sealed the signing of David De Gea from Atletico Madrid in a deal reportedly to be worth around £17 million. The 20-year-old joins on a five-year contract as the replacement to the recently retired Edwin Van der Sar and will form the last line of defence for Alex Ferguson’s side as they embark on their campaign to retain the Premier League title.
Ironically, De Gea is likened to United’s retiring her; nicknamed “Van De Gea†by his Atletico team-mates, the physical resemblance is there for all to see. Standing 6ft 4in, De Gea is a wiry but imposing figure in the box, confident on crosses, with impressive speed to aid his dominance.
A strong shot-stopper, comfortable with the ball at his feet and with an icy assurance – the comparisons to Van der Sar continue. A penchant for saving penalty kicks is also a welcome string to the bow; shaky distribution being perhaps the one area where De Gea lacks the qualities of the Dutchman he succeeds between the Old Trafford goalposts.
The Statistics
De Gea is undeniably an exciting prospect but, unlike previous goalkeeping signings, Ferguson has not opted for experience and proven pedigree this time around. With just two seasons under his belt in Spain, De Gea’s record offers little indication of his talents.
He made his full debut for Atletico in 2009 after rising to prominence for Spain at youth level; he was a long-time international at Under 16 and Under 17 level before announcing himself in first-team football. His break came following several errors from the then first choice, Sergio Asenjo. De Gea took his opportunity in style, swiftly established himself as the new number one and went on to help Atletico to the Europa League title.
An ever-present last season, De Gea earned 11 clean sheets, conceding 53 goals as Atletico eneded the La Liga campaign in seventh.
The Prospects
There can be few doubts on De Gea’s potential – having impressed during Spain’s Under 21 European Championship triumph, he will go into the season as a winner and with expectations high.
If there is a concern, it will surround his ability to adapt to the Premier League and life in England. At just 20-years-old, the prospect could be daunting and while De Gea looks to have a strong and calm mentality, he may need time to adjust to a new way of life on his arrival in Manchester, regardless how he reacts to a swift dig in the ribs from Kevin Davies.
Any United number one is likely to attract interest from Fantasy Managers, simply because, by default, he is set to be amongst the leading gatherers of clean sheets. United mustered 15 shut-outs last season, a disappointing return for the Champions, but one which typified a season where clean sheets remained unpredictable and, at times, a rarity.
This is likely to have a marked effect on the Fantasy Managers approach to the goalkeeping position. Low and mid-price options have been en vogue for several seasons now and it seems likely that this trend will continue into next season’s campaign.
De Gea could well benefit from the arrival of Phil Jones and the blossoming talents of Chris Smalling when Rio Ferdinand’s fragility resurfaces, and there’s no doubting Nemanja Vidic as a formidable defensive barrier. We could well see Ferguson’s side better last season’s clean sheet haul then and De Gea could resultantly shift into view as a possible option but, with a high price tag inevitable, the lure of cheaper alternatives will always be there.
United’s opening fixtures are also a major consideration when assessing De Gea’s worth. Arguably, Ferguson has a right to complain about a run of opponents that pair the Champions with Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea in their first five weeks of the season. The young Spaniard will have ample opportunity to impress given the early fixtures he has in front of him – whether he can keep his sheet clean over those successive games remains to be seen. Fantasy Managers will surely be approaching the United defence with caution, however, preferring to back their attacking players who are likely to be riled in retaliation against opponents capable of breaching the back four.
