• Premier League

United snap up keeper De Gea

ESPN staff
June 29, 2011

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea for a fee in the region of £18 million.

The 20-year-old passed a medical this week and has agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League champions, and is set to inherit the No. 1 jersey from the retired Edwin van der Sar.

"I feel very proud and I can't wait to start playing here," De Gea told MUTV. "When a club the size of Manchester United comes in for you it obviously makes you very, very happy.

"I saw their interest as an extra motivation to work even harder to show off my ability. It's a great privilege to be part of a club like United and I'm keen to do my best and show what I can do."

De Gea, who has been on international duty with Spain's Under-21 side, is Sir Alex Ferguson's third new recruit of the summer, following the signings of Phil Jones and Ashley Young.

De Gea won the Europa League and the European Super Cup with Atletico, but he is yet to win a senior cap for Spain with the tough competition of Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes ahead of him in the pecking order.

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