The ex-Rojiblancos defender says the goalkeeper’s willingness to ignore his roots and move to Santiago Bernabeu will make him extremely unpopular
Former Atletico Madrid defender Tomas Ujfalusi believes fans would take a move by club youth product David de Gea to Real Madrid as a serious sign of betrayal.
De Gea is heavily tipped to join Madrid this summer from Manchester United, despite having joined the Rojiblancos at the age of just 13 and going on to win the Europa League and European Super Cup with the first team.
And the reports have prompted the goalkeeper’s former team-mate Ujfalusi to declare his surprise, stating the 24-year-old’s lack of loyalty would not go down well across the city.
“No, no, no. They are not going to forgive him [if he joins Real Madrid], for sure,” the retired Czech Republic international, who represented Atletico from 2008 to 2011, told the Daily Mail.
“It’s also a surprise for me because he’s an Atletico Madrid fan – when he was young his heart was with Atletico Madrid. It’s not going to be easy for him to make this decision.”
Nevertheless, Ujfalusi insists the Spaniard – whom he believes to be the best in England – is ready to take the next step in his career after a season in which he was Manchester United’s standout performer.
“I have to say De Gea [is better than Arsenal keeper Petr Cech and Chelsea counterpart Thibaut Courtois],” he continued. “I was working with him for more than two years, and he was playing really well.
“The beginning in Manchester United wasn’t so easy for him, but I think now he’ s back in his old form and playing very well.”
Real Madrid have been in hot pursuit of De Gea as a replacement for captain Iker Casillas, who has been inconsistent between the posts and guilty of several high-profile blunders since being benched by Jose Mourinho in 2013.
United are reluctant to let go of their shot-stopper despite him only having a year remaining on his contract, however, and are thought to be pursuing Sergio Ramos as a makeweight in any potential deal.