Manchester United ace Juan Mata hails Real Madrid target David de Gea
Posted Tuesday, January 20, 2015 by Dailystar.co.uk
JUAN MATA has dubbed Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea 'the wall'.
Midfielder praised fellow Spaniard De Gea as doubts hang over his Old Trafford future.
Real Madrid target De Gea, 24, has less than 18 months left on his current contract and is not close to agreeing a new deal.
But Mata pinpointed his importance in Saturday's 2-0 win over QPR as he collected his ninth clean sheet of the season.
THE WALL: De Gea's fine form has seen him being targeted by Real Madrid
Mata said: "QPR played their cards as we expected and they were also dangerous when sending long balls to the attacking players, but David, once again, was a wall."
De Gea was linked with a swap deal involving Real superstar Gareth Bale over the weekend.
But a poll by Manchester United's Supporters' Trust revealed that 99 per cent of fans want the £40m-rated Spanish keeper over the Welsh winger.
Meanwhile, Mata has also called on his team-mates they have to hit top form if they want clinch a Champions League place.
Louis van Gaal's side has lost only one of their last 12 Premier League games but have not been overly impressive.
Mata said: "Winning this weekend was even more important since all the teams in the top side of the table - except Manchester City - won their games.
"There's still a long way to go; we have to keep pushing and be at a high level because our main rivals will do the same.
"We want to get in top form for the crucial weeks of the season."
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