Louis van Gaal: 'David de Gea does not want to play for Manchester United'

Louis van Gaal has claimed that goalkeeper and Real Madrid target David de Gea does not want to play for Manchester United.

De Gea, 24, has been heavily linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu, and Van Gaal left him out of Saturday's Premier League opener with Tottenham Hotspur last week.

The Dutchman confirmed on Thursday that Sergio Romero would retain his place between the sticks for Friday's trip to Aston Villa, claiming that the Spaniard's mind remains elsewhere.

"We talked with [De Gea] and he fully agreed with our decision," he told a press conference. "I have one assistant coach and another assistant coach so we speak about that kind of thing together. We have a goalkeeping coach, Frans Hoek, and I'm not doing everything alone.

"Frans Hoek... he has a meeting with David de Gea and he asked him: 'Do you want to play?' [De Gea said "No"]. Then I have to take the decision. It is a process.

"We had been observing him in preparation, he was not so good, he was not the same David de Gea as before. He was my best player last season. According to the fans, he was the best of the last two years."

De Gea, who joined the Red Devils in 2011 from Atletico Madrid, is out of contract next summer.