Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has admitted that he cannot let goalkeeper David de Gea leave Old Trafford on the cheap.
The 24-year-old has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid throguhout the summer and was ommited from the Red Devils' squad for Saturday's opening Premier League victory over Tottenham.
The Spain international has been unsettled by Madrid's interest in his signature and Van Gaal has suggested that his future will not be resolved unless Rafa Benitez's side are willing to pay an appropriate fee for the player.
"I'm not the most important part with De Gea. The most important part is the player and the club who wants to buy him," the Dutchman declared.
"He's our best player for the past two or three years so we cannot let him go so easily. We want to sell at the same level as we pay. We want to keep him of course," he said.
De Gea joined United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has just one year remaining on his current contract.
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The possibility of the goalkeeper leaving on a free transfer remains, but Van Gaal seemes determined not to see one of his key players leave for the Bernabeu in a cut price deal.
Sergio Romero deputised for De Gea against Spurs and produced several impressive saves late on to keep the north Londoners at bay as United opened their campaign with three points.
