De Gea explains ball joke but tells press he wants Thiago at Manchester United

De Gea, not letting go of Thiago for a second.
David de Gea has found himself at the centre of something resembling a 'tapping-up' storm' after twice suggesting to Thiago that he'd like him in Manchester after the  U21 European championships. The first was when questioned on stage three weeks ago and the second was when he signed Thiago's Tuesday night hat-trick ball with a message that roughly said 'See you in Manchester'. The latter causing great fuss both in England and Spain with newspapers in both countries running the story today.
The goalkeeper was inevitably questioned about the situation when the team arrived back at Barajas airport last night and a jubilant De Gea, carrying Iker Muniain on his shoulders for part of the journey through the airport, said it was mainly jokes between him and the Barcelona midfielder, being careful not to land himself in hot water.
Quoted by Mundo Deportivo, De Gea said "We talked and joked and such, but Barcelona knows they have a crack with them and won't let him go."
A 'crack' is a Spanish term for a great player and Barcelona probably wouldn't let him go if they had any say in it but Thiago has a clause in his contract which means he can leave the Spanish side for just €18m plus IVA. With that tax added the amount reaches €21.7m, still a bargain for a player who scored a first half hat-trick in the U21 final against Italy on Tuesday night.
De Gea did, however, explain the obvious "Hopefully next season I'll have a Spanish partner in the team. Me, as a player of Manchester United, I would hope to have a partner like Thiago, who is very good."
That was probably De Gea's more diplomatic way of inviting Thiago to join up with him at the Premier League champions. Such is the goalkeeper's popularity, his positive words about the club will no doubt make other members of the U21 squad keen on a move to Old Trafford. Iker Muniain, the little guy De Gea was carrying around the Madrid airport on his shoulders, has been linked briefly in the past but he's surely more likely to stay at Athletic Club Bilbao for a while yet. 
Manchester United's goalkeeper clearly thinks Old Trafford is the place to be and fancies a little Spanish company, if he has to act as a part-time football agent to get himself a Spanish team mate then De Gea seems absolutely prepared to do what he can.