Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea says goodbye to Old Trafford friends

Real Madrid believe they have won their battle with Manchester United for David De Gea.

The La Liga giants believe De Gea will sign for them after chasing the Spanish goalkeeper for months.

Club president Florentino Perez is set to meet De Gea’s agent Jorge Mendes this week as they close in on the deal.

Real will then make a formal approach to United to begin negotiating his fee.

De Gea, who is with the Spanish squad preparing for Thursday’s friendly against Costa Rica in Leon, has just 12 months left on his current deal and Real’s offer will be in the region of £15million.

That is likely to be rejected by United, who want more for De Gea after he cost a British record fee for a goalkeeper of £17.8m when he signed from Atletico Madrid four years ago.

United are preparing themselves for the goalie's departure - although they have offered him a new £200,000-a-week deal to stay.

De Gea was torn over his future, but it is understood he has said his goodbyes to friends at Old Trafford.

United will move quickly to replace De Gea and have identified Ajax’s Holland goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen as their No 1 target.

Meanwhile Roma are interested in signing Manchester United flop Nani.

The 28-year-old will return to Old Trafford after his season-long loan at Sporting Lisbon, but he is not in Louis van Gaal's plans.

However a sticking point could be Nani's £100k-a-week wages.