Real Madrid are against a player-cash deal in the talks with Manchester United for goalkeeper David De Gea.

United are interested in either of Alvaro Morata or James Rodriguez – both players are struggling in the Real set-up under Coach Zinedine Zidane.

As De Gea gets set for the deal to happen this time, Spanish sources claim Real Madrid do not want a player-cash deal this time, amid reported interests in its stars. Real Madrid and United came close to completing the deal for the Spaniard in 2015 but the deal slipped on deadline day due to clerical error. So De Gea had to renew his deal by four years. He is contracted to Old Trafford until 2019 with the option of extending by a year.

Even then it was a player-cash deal but Madrid have backed out of such this time. They have told their partners that there is no chance of such happening except United bid separately for the players.

De Gea sparked rumours of a deal in the pipeline when he sold his house in Manchester. The deal would be a new record for a goalkeeper if Real pay the market valuation of £60 million. He was recently named in the Professional Footballers’ Association Team of the Year. He has featured 51 times this season for United, keeping 15 clean sheets. He is rated as one of the top three goalkeepers in Europe and he has many admirers desperate for his signature.

He is likely to be replaced by AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma as the Serie A side struggle to tie down the young keeper. His agent Mino Raiola has done recent business with Old Trafford and with better prospects he might convince the player to move to England.