Van Gaal happy de Gea will sign new contract

Victor Valdes: United boss Van Gaal expects his new arrival to battle hard for a place in the first team.

Louis van Gaal is confident David de Gea will resist Real Madrid’s overtures and sign a new contract with Manchester United. Van Gaal completed his seventh signing of the season on Thursday when Victor Valdes put pen to paper on an 18-month deal.

The arrival of the highly-decorated former Barcelona goalkeeper prompted speculation regarding the future of De Gea, whose contract expires at the end of next season. Real Madrid are reported to have identified De Gea as the man they want to replace Iker Casillas as their first-choice goalkeeper.