This is as declarative as it gets. David de Gea is going nowhere.
Manchester United fans worried about losing one of the club's best players to Real Madrid can rest assured, after Jose Mourinho confirmed that David de Gea is going nowhere.
"I can guarantee he is not going this season," the United boss said on Sunday morning.
The 26-year-old has emerged as, arguably, the best goalkeeper in the world in recent seasons.
De Gea almost moved back to Madrid - he'd started his career at Atletico - in 2015, only for the move to be scuppered by an administrative error on the final day of the transfer window.
The Spanish international subsequently signed a new long-term deal at Old Trafford.
Mourinho described De Gea as "really happy, focused and working better than ever" but has said that Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero will push him hard this season.
The 30-year-old recently signed a new deal until 2021 having started United's Europa League victory over Ajax.
Mourinho, meanwhile, says the signing of Gareth Bale was never realistic for United.
"He was never on my list," Mourinho said of the Welsh attacker. "It is clear Bale likes Madrid. He is in a very good situation. I never felt a desire from him to leave. So why lose time and energy on that?"
