ManU target De Gea to stay at Atletico

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper David de Gea, reportedly a target of Manchester United, said he intends to stay at the Spanish club until 2013.

“What is important is that I have a contract here and that I’m an Atletico player until 2013,” he told Spain’s Radio Marca, the Marca newspaper reported Tuesday.

Another sports newspaper, AS, said Friday that Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson travelled to Spain last week to watch 19-year-old De Gea when Atletico played Valencia in a league match, accompanied by the club’s goalkeeping coach, Eric Steele.

“I knew (that Ferguson was there) the next day on the television news,” said De Gea. “I think he was more there to watch Valencia than to watch me.”

Valencia are United’s next opponent in the Champions League group stage, on Wednesday.

British press reports have said the English champions are on the lookout for a successor to Dutchman Edwin van der Sar, who turns 40 next month.

De Gea has been in impressive form since the start of the league season in Spain.