David de Gea
David de Gea's transfer to Real Madrid did not go through after Manchester United reportedly failed to submit the paperwork before the transfer deadline. Reuters/Mark Avery

Manchester United boss Louis Van Gaal will not play goalkeeper David De Gea after being left out of the club’s opening game in the Premier League season. De Gea, who has been heavily linked to Real Madrid, told Real’s staff he was “not eager to play” in the team’s season opener.

Van Gaal said the origins of leaving De Gea out of United’s recent games started from a meeting last week when De Gea was asked outright if he wanted to play. De Gea promptly answered that he does not want to be involved with United’s Premier League campaign because he was too distracted.

“We talked with him [De Gea] and he fully agreed with our decision,” Van Gaal said, The Guardian reported. “We had been observing him in preparation, he was not so good, he was not the same David de Gea as before.”

According to BBC, the Spanish stopper told goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek that he was not 100 percent focused because of reports linking him to Real. Until the transfer window ends, Van Gaal will reportedly not pick De Gea, who will also sit out the Red Devils’ match against Aston Villa on Friday. Real has reportedly launch a final bid to lure De Gea away from Old Trafford. Los Blancos offered €25 million (AU$38.1 million), with an additional €5 million (AU$7.6 million), for De Gea, but United are firm to hold on to the former Atletico Madrid player unless they receive a world-record fee.

Meanwhile, United target Sergio Ramos will sign a new contract with Real on Monday that will keep him at Bernabeu until 2020. Real president Florentino Perez reopened negotiations with Ramos after being criticised by supporters following long-time goalkeeper Iker Casillas’ move to Porto, reports Goal.

Perez and Real’s chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez met with Ramos and his agent during the club’s preseason tour in China. Both parties agreed that a deal would be completed for Ramos to continue his career in Real.

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