David De Gea has been named in Manchester United’s 25 man UEFA Champions League squad for the 2016 competition. The list includes a maximum of 17 foreign players.
De Gea’s proposed move to Real Madrid, which would have brought Costa Rica ‘keeper Keylor Navas to Old Trafford as part of the deal, collapsed after it emerged that paper work had not been filed on time.
Both Real and United appeared to point accusatory fingers at each other in the aftermath of the failed deal but De Gea is believed to be “calm and relaxed” about the situation according to his friend and fellow Spain internation Juan Mata while reports that De Gea would not be considered for selection unless he signed a new contract have been rubbished by a United spokesperson.
The Spanish international has been joined in the squad by Sergio Romero and Sam Johnstone while Victor Valdes was frozen out by United boss Louis van Gaal after the United manager claimed that Valdes refused to play in a reserve game.
Valdes saw a proposed move to Besiktas collapse at the 11th hour and has returned to Old Trafford but hasn’t been given a squad number for the forthcoming season.
Youth players James Wilson, Paddy McNair, and Andreas Pereira have been included on a supplementary list of players under the age of 21 but who have been eligible to play for United for the last two years.
The squad face their first Champions League challenge away in the Netherlands at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, September 15.