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Manchester United have hit back at Real Madrid once again as their dispute over the failed transfer of David De Gea continues to rage on.
De Gea looked set for a return to Spain after the two clubs agreed a £29m deal that included Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas, only for a delay in the contractual negotiations to end any hopes of the deal being completed.
Real initially released a 10-point statement to explain why in their eyes United were to blame for the collapse. The Premier League returned fire with a 10-point statement of their own, in which they laid the blame firmly at the feet of the 10-time Champions League winners.
Manchester United: Summer 2015 completed transfers
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On Thursday evening, Real’s president Florentino Perez spoke to claim that United’s “inexperience” was at fault for the failed move, with his comments a thinly-veiled criticism of United’ executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
Having replaced David Gill in 2013, Woodward was leading United in his third summer transfer window, but has been accused of naivety after United missed out on a number of high profile targets.
However, United have responded to Perez’s comments for a second time after club spokesman told The Telegraph that, with the FA backing them up, United are supremely confident that they are not at fault for the failure to seal a deal.
“The facts speak for themselves. The FA are prepared to back our case that documents were in on time,” the spokesman said.
Comically, the spokesman also used an analogy of a goalkeeper to describe Real letting De Gea slip from their grasp when it appeared a move was nailed on.
“We all like to blame others but if you let one slip through your fingers into the back of the net, then ultimately the culpability is yours,” the spokesman added.
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