MADRID: Manchester United has signed Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea to a five-year deal. The Spanish club says on its website the deal was reached Wednesday. The transfer fee was not disclosed. Atletico says De Gea passed his medical in Manchester to seal the 20-year-old's move to the English champion, where he will take over for retired goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. Local media has estimated the transfer fee to be around 18 million pounds ($29 million). “I feel very proud and I can't wait to start playing here,” De Gea said on the club website (www.manutd.com). “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.” De Gea, who came through the youth ranks at Atletico before making his La Liga debut in 2009, arrives at Old Trafford fresh from helping Spain to win the Euro Under-21 championship in Denmark last week. He will be United's third signing since the end of the season as the champions have led the way in spending, having brought in defender Phil Jones and forward Ashley Young in a close season spree reported to be close to 50 million pounds. United manager Alex Ferguson, who has spoken previously of the desire to sign an adequate replacement for Van der Sar in good time, targeted one of the continent's best young goalkeeping talents in De Gea.
