David De Gea Advised To Stay With Manchester United, Chelsea Targeting Raphael Varane

Despite increased interest from Real Madrid, Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores believes standout keeper David De Gea should stay in England.

Flores gave De Gea his first chance when he managed him at Atlético Madrid, and believes staying in England with Manchester United is the young keeper’s best bet. “It would be perfect for David and the Premier League to keep him in English football for long. He has learned a lot playing here in England,” said Flores.

After starting with Atlético Madrid, De Gea was signed away by Manchester United in 2011. In his time with the club, he’s won one Premier League winners medal in 2013 and has been heralded as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world.

While De Gea did sign a new deal to stay with Manchester United, he did come close to joining Real Madrid at the last transfer window. With a new deal signed, Real would have to up their offer to the star keeper.

In other transfer news, Chelsea apparently sees Real’s Raphael Varane as a “wiser choice” than Everton’s John Stones, according to Neil Ashton of The Daily Mail. Chelsea’s manager Jose Mourinho is trying to improve their defense, and Varane has been great this year. Varane is set to play his 21 st consecutive match with France’s international team next year at the European Championships in France.

Varane has seen increased playing time this year; he’s played in all of Real’s 11 matches, starting nine times. If he continues to play at a high level for Real, he’ll be well on his way to becoming one of the best center defenders in football. Moving to Chelsea wouldn’t help with his development, so it’s not likely he’ll make a move unless Chelsea overpays considerably.

PHOTO: WATFORD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 21: David De Gea of Manchester United celebrates his team’s second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Watford and Manchester United at Vicarage Road on November 21, 2015 in Watford, England. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)