Real Madrid Transfer News: Keylor Navas Eyes New Contract, David De Gea Rumours

Keylor Navas reportedly wants Real Madrid to hand him a new contract and double his wages, despite persistent rumours Los Blancos are still interested in bringing Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea back to the Spanish capital.

That's according to Alvaro de la Rosa of AS, who reported Navas is asking for €4.4 million per year in recognition of his fine 2015-16 campaign. That's reportedly what he would have made had the swap deal sending him to Manchester in exchange for De Gea gone through last season.

De la Rosa used statistics to show why Navas' demands are hardly excessive:

In truth, Navas has come to Real Madrid’s rescue on numerous occasions since signing for the club. He has made 44 appearances, kept 22 clean sheets and has only shipped 30 goals all season, an average of 0.68 per game. Iker Casillas only managed to better that return during in 2014-15 (0.50), when the Spaniard was a starter in the Copa del Rey and the Champions League but was the second choice in La Liga.

The Mostoles native’s best goal average while playing in all three competitions came in 2010-11 (0.74). De Gea conceded 0.97 goals per game on average this season with the Red Devils.

While those statistics hardly tell the whole story―it's not hard to argue Navas played behind a much better defence than De Gea did―there's no denying the Costa Rica international has been phenomenal this season, playing a key role in Real's run to the UEFA Champions League final.

The 29-year-old has made countless key saves, and while his strong form ultimately didn't lead to La Liga glory, the gap between Real and Barcelona would have been far greater without Navas minding the net.

In Europe, he has been even better, per the Champions League's official Twitter account:

But despite his stunning form, the De Gea rumours aren't going away. The Spain international came agonisingly close to joining the club last summer, when a late fax blocked the move, and after another strong campaign with United, his future is again in doubt, per Tomas Roncero of AS.

The former Atletico Madrid star is a national and local hero, and he's younger and more marketable than Navas.

Los Blancos should feel comfortable with the Costa Rican guarding their goal―just take a look at some of his highlights of the past season:

But according to Roncero, Real president Florentino Perez remains a big fan of De Gea. And while he did sign a new contract with United following the deadline-day debacle, the deal reportedly includes a release clause of €50 million (£38.7 million), which needs to be triggered by June 15.

Perez has a reputation for letting star performers leave the club in favour of signing flashy names, with Claude Makelele perhaps being the best example.

And thanks to his strong showings in 2015-16, Navas is a powerful bargaining chip to bring in De Gea or Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois, who has also been linked with a move, per Roncero.

With all those rumours swirling, Navas has picked an odd time to press for an improved contract, but the former Levante man has carried himself professionally throughout the season, and he has every reason to believe he will be justly rewarded.

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