Manchester United
Leading with the words "Real Madrid appear to have got their man" England's Independent is staking the claim that Sunday is the day David de Gea will complete a move from Manchester United.
The report cites “sources in Spain and Manchester” confirming that the 24-year-old keeper De Gea will finally be sold for €40 million (Dh164.3m).
If the move is completed it will mark the end to a saga that has seen De Gea left out of the United squad to start the season, with Madrid's interest ever-present and several corresponding rumoured moves that never materalised. From Sergio Ramos coming back in a swap to, The Independent reports, finally a failed campaign to involve Gareth Bale.
Read more: Richard Jolly on Louis van Gaal and the charting of his own course for Manchester United
Meantime, United missed out on Pedro and were linked to moves as audacious as a Neymar bid but may in the end simply lose De Gea and seek out a replacement – widely thought to be Jasper Cillessen of Ajax. Sergio Romero, the Argentina keeper, has served well for United in De Gea’s stead, with the club yet to allow a goal in three league matches.
The Independent's report would line up with a late brief from Saturday night out of Spanish outlet Marca, which pegged the new fee around £25 million (€34.4m) and said De Gea was "still likely to secure a dream move ... before the transfer window closes".
De Gea arrived at United from La Liga club Atletico Madrid in 2011 and played 131 league matches for the Manchester club, winning the 2012/13 Premier League title while starting 28 matches in net.
Valencia
Tunisian international defender Aymen Abdennour has joined Valencia from Monaco for an undisclosed fee, the Spanish club have confirmed.
"Valencia Football Club has reached an agreement with AS Monaco for the signing of central defender Aymen Abdennour," Valencia said in a statement on their website.
The deal comes just four days after Valencia dumped Ligue 1 club Monaco out of the Champions League to qualify for the group stages for the first time in three years.
Also see: The National's Transfer Talk page
According to reports in the Spanish press, Valencia will pay up to €25m for the 26-year-old player.
“Valencia is a big club in Spain and in Europe. I didn’t have any doubts,” Abdennour said.
“I am happy to be here in a serious and ambitious project.”
Abdennour will replace Nicolas Otamendi at the heart of the Valencia defence after the Argentine left to join Manchester City earlier this month.
*Agence France-Presse
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The biog
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Our legal consultant
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