Real Madrid have never denied their ongoing pursuit of David de Gea.

The Manchester United goalkeeper came close to joining the European champions in 2015 and the deal would have gone through had it not been for some botched paperwork.

The Red Devils were more than happy to keep him.

The Spanish international isn't the sort of player to force through a move, and that could work in his current club's favour yet again this summer.

De Gea is invaluable. Prior to Ander Herrera winning it this season just gone, the stopper had picked up United's Player of the Year award three years running.

That probably says more about the rest of the United team than anything else, but it's also a reminder of just how pivotal he is to Jose Mourinho's project.

Had they missed out on the Champions League, perhaps things might have been different. After all, a player of De Gea's quality ought to be featuring at the highest level.

As it is, Keylor Navas is likely to keep his place between the sticks at the Bernabeu. Navas does seem to have improved, and that may be why Madrid are happy to leave any bids for De Gea for now. There have been several debates between Zinedine Zidane and the Madrid hierarchy, but Zizou has convinced the board to keep the faith with his current 'keeper.

It must be incredibly frustrating for the man himself, who has faced constant speculation over the past two years.

De Gea drops a big hint 

Even if he is now confident he'll be at United next term, it's understandable that he has hinted at his exasperation on social media.

The following tweet, brought to our attention by 101GreatGoals, appears to have been liked by De Gea, which at least gives some insight into his thinking.

It's ultimately a huge positive for United that the deal is off again.

Sergio Romero has proved an able deputy when he has filled in this season, but De Gea is still ranked as arguably the best goalkeeper in the world and he would be a huge loss if he were to quit Old Trafford.

Will De Gea join Madrid at some point in the future? Have your say in the comments.