MANCHESTER: Manchester United says goalkeeper David De Gea has signed a four-year contract with the Premier League club, less than two weeks after a transfer to Real Madrid fell through.

The new deal ties the 24-year-old Spain international to Old Trafford until 2019, and marks the latest twist in a saga that dominated the offseason transfer market.

De Gea says he is "looking forward to putting a difficult summer behind me and concentrating on working hard to improve."

United manager Louis van Gaal says De Gea is "one of the best goalkeepers in the world" and that "he made a very important contribution to our performance last season."

De Gea was a clear target for Real Madrid, but the paperwork was not completed in time for the transfer deadline.