It’s all about time and clocks and deadlines. Marca is reporting the paperwork to register David De Gea at Real Madrid did not arrive in time before close of the Liga transfer deadline. La Liga closed its transfer period yesterday. Minutes before the midnight deadline, the agent of Keylor Navas, the Madrid goalie included in that player and cash agreement expressed unhappiness with some of the terms of his new Man Utd contract and sought clarification.

By the time everything was sorted out, the documents arrived at the Professional Football League (LFP) office it was half an hour too late. The LFP rejected the documents as per the guidelines. Neither De Gear or Navas was able to sign off, the contract became null and void.