Manchester United take on Spanish champions Atletico Madrid in one of the most anticipated ties in the Champions League Round of 16.
Ralf Rangnick’s side travel to the Spanish capital for the first leg on Wednesday night before hosting Atletico in the return game at Old Trafford on 15 March.
It is a game which has no shortage of backstories including Atletico Madrid facing their nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo and two sides looking to revive their struggling seasons.
The goalkeepers of both clubs may have been playing in this encounter on the other side of the divide as discussions were held over a swap deal between the pair.
David de Gea has been Manchester United ’s first choice goalkeeper for over a decade after joining from Atletico Madrid, who signed Jan Oblak three years later.
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Of course, Spain international De Gea’s highest profile possibility of exiting United during his tenure came in 2015 – when a late fax being sent saw his proposed switch to Real Madrid collapse.
That prolonged link of De Gea to Los Blancos is a large part of the reason why his perception among the Atleti fanbase has dwindled, but there was also a possibility of him returning to the red-and-white half of the Spanish capital.
De Gea endured a difficult 2014-15 campaign at Old Trafford amid suggestions he wished to return to Spain, where his partner Edurne Garcia Almagro was living at that time.
A proposal was floated for the shot-stopper to return to Los Rojiblancos four years after leaving the club, as the club had struggled to replace him.
Slovenian shot-stopper Oblak joined Atletico in 2014 from Benfica and whilst he has blossomed into one of football’s elite goalkeepers in the years since, he initially struggled.
That led to tentative suggestions that Oblak could be used in a part-exchange deal that would have seen De Gea sensationally make a return to Atletico.
Oblak’s Champions League debut for Atleti saw him concede three goals from three shots in a defeat at Olympiakos, sounding early alarm bells with Miguel Angel Moya selected ahead of him.
That led Atletico making contact with De Gea’s agent Jorge Mendes with a swap deal proposed between the two goalkeepers, as detailed by Diario AS.
However, the talks did not progress through to an advanced stage with both De Gea and Oblak remaining at their respective clubs.
Each of them have remained at United and Atletico respectively in the seven years since and the two will now go head-to-head for their clubs in the Champions League Round of 16 tie.
