Football: David de Gea signs new deal at Man Utd

David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, the Premier League club announced on Monday, ending months of speculation over his future.

The Spaniard, 28, who had been linked with a return to Spain with Real Madrid for several seasons, has put pen to paper on a new four-year deal.

"David de Gea has signed a new long-term contract with Manchester United, keeping him at the club until at least June 2023," United said on their official website. "There is an option to extend for a further year."

De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has made 367 appearances for the club.

“It has been a privilege to spend eight years at this great club and the opportunity to continue my career at Manchester United is a genuine honor," said the goalkeeper.

"Since I arrived here, I could never have imagined I would play over 350 games for this club. Now my future is fixed, all I want is to help this team achieve what I believe we can and win trophies again, together."

De Gea has won the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League since arriving at Old Trafford.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was delighted the Spaniard had committed his long-term future to the club.

"Over recent years, David has proved himself to be the best in the world and a vital part of our plans as we look to take Manchester United back to where it belongs. David is a fantastic person and his outstanding quality provides the perfect base to our defense."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Liverpool and Man Utd deliver poor 0-0 draw after the hype

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday.

After all the hype preceding the battle between English football's fiercest rivals, United's manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool's acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics.

The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho.

Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United's ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown "they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are".

Klopp, though, talked of "mixed feelings", admitting it had been a poor spectacle.

"I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better.

"We get a point. It doesn't feel like the best thing but it is what we got."

His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination.

Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights.

Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans.

It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal.

It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho's curler wide.

A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba.

(Reporting by Ian Chadband; Editing by Clare Fallon)

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Confusion reigns over De Gea's Real Madrid move

MADRID - Confusion reigns over goalkeeper David De Gea's expected transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid after media reported the relevant paperwork was not delivered in time on Spain's deadline day.

The Spain stopper signed his new contract but the documents did not reach the professional league's offices by the midnight cut-off on Monday/Tuesday, said several reports without identifying the source of their information.

However, Cadena Ser radio said Real had proof that United sent the paperwork at one minute before midnight and the club were expecting the deal to go through.

Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas is due to join United as part of the deal if the transfer is completed.

Neither Real nor the professional league could be reached for immediate comment.

If the transfer has failed it will leave De Gea in a difficult position because United coach Louis van Gaal has left him out of the squad for the Premier League club's opening games of the season.

Real want the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid keeper as a long-term replacement for his Spain team mate Iker Casillas, the former club captain who joined Porto in July.

De Gea was selected last week by Spain for the forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Macedonia although coach Vicente Del Bosque hinted he could lose his place in the squad if his club situation remained unresolved. (Writing by Iain Rogers; Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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