Just when you thought the David De Gea fallout had settled, Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, fires another vocal salvo at United for the mishap that was the failed transfer. In an interview for Spanish sports radio station, El Larguero (The Crossbar), recently, Perez makes some fairly captious remarks in regard to United and their implied ineptitude in the transfer business. So bold, he not only made reference to an alleged failed attempt to buy a Real player previously, but that of another player from another club. Bolder yet, he called United’s handling of the deal a disgrace.
Here are a few translated comments made during the show as per SocialRMadrid via their Twitter feed: @SocialRMadird:
“We sent the contracts at 13:30 and United (sic) took eight (sic) hours to send them back.”
“I feel that United (sic) lacks experience in these matters. The same happened with Coentrao and Ander Herrera.”
What also interests me in Perez’s narrative of the events is his repeated insistence that United did not act with malice, etc. But yet, he still feels the need to be overtly critical. A paradoxical series of statements, in a way.
I can’t help but hear the crying of a bully who hasn’t gotten his way. I think the people at Real are too used to being able to buy who they want, when they want. Now United have stood their ground and it’s foul play.
But it really isn’t. You see, Woodward is smart and knew two things: Real wanted De Gea (publicly mutual, might I add) and Real have players United want. Perez was even bold enough to share with the media United’s attempts to purchase Varane, Bale, and that they even “meddled” with the Ramos situation. What must be assumed is United used the De Gea ace-in-sleeve, so to speak, as a bargaining chip to land one of those players and were prepared to wait on Real to pull the trigger as long as possible.
And they did.
Just as United had no interest in selling De Gea, completely consistent with what both Perez and United admit, it would seem Real had no interest in selling any of the above – even as part of an exchange. I can’t help but think because Real wouldn’t blink, it was United by some means who opened the door for discussions at the death in an attempt to cut their losses as the situation with the player became increasingly untenable.
Does that make it bad business? Not really. Hardly a disgrace.
It doesn’t explain, or justify, United’s slow response. I could hypothesize the slow response was due to slow negotiations between United and Navas in which United wanted to have a clear idea of what their return would be in all its facets; but this would be purely speculatory.
What’s telling for me is how Perez has failed to address a couple of important things. One, the primary point of United’s official response in that they have proof the deal was submitted by them on the TMS prior to the deadline. Secondly, it begs the question as to why he doesn’t address Real’s decision not to appeal given this information presented and the support to do so. It’s confusing when the very essence of such an appeal doesn’t request an extension – which Real so boldly claim their lack of interest in receiving special treatment in that context.
So now we await a response? Time shall tell.
*Update*
United did release a response to Perez’s thinly veiled accusatory statements. They continue to maintain that the documents were forwarded before the deadline and have the full support of the FA in proving this to be the case. They go on to claim that if it took Real another thirty or so minutes to forward this information, it is their own “clumsy” fault and their media efforts are nothing more than an attempt to move the focus away (from what I believe they imply their errors in the process).
It’s interesting they feel the same way as I did when I wrote on this same matter in the previous ‘Blame Game’ article. It also is interesting they too haven’t responded directly to Real’s main complaint in the eight hour wait for a response.
In the mean time, rumours of a conflicting nature are swirling that De Gea is ready to sign an extension with United while others (more realistically) claim no decision has been made. Since this, De Gea has been named to club roster for Champion’s League and van Gaal is reported to have said De Gea would be given a fresh start with a run of games irrespective of whether or not he chooses to resign.
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