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."