Navas never wanted to leave anyway. The Costa Rican shot-stopper had waited patiently in the shadows of former Madrid icon Iker Casillas in 2014-15 and was starting to impress as the club's first-choice keeper. Against Betis just a couple of days before the close of the transfer window, he earned an ovation at the Santiago Bernabeu thanks to a penalty save from Ruben Castro. "Keylor, Keylor Navas!" the fans sang, to the tune of Queen's 'We Will Rock You'.
Ever since the move for De Gea went wrong, Navas has gone from strength to strength. On Saturday, he produced his finest performance yet as, thanks to his saves, Madrid secured an impressive win that may just make the difference between success and failure at the end of this season in La Liga.
Celta Vigo sat level on points with los Blancos at the top of the table prior to kick-off and had yet to lose in the Primera Division this term. They also beat Barcelona 4-1 in September and came into the match with fresher legs after Madrid returned from their Champions League encounter with Paris Saint-Germain in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Nevertheless, the visitors struck the first blow through Cristiano Ronaldo and were two up after 23 minutes when Danilo added another. Celta, meanwhile, did everything but score.
That was largely down to Navas. The Costa Rican produced superb saves to deny Fabian Orellana, Jonny, Iago Aspas and Pablo 'Tucu' Hernandez as Celta pummelled the Madrid goal without reward. And when the excellent Nolito did finally beat Navas in the second half, his shot was cleared off the line by Marcelo.
The former (and perhaps future) Barcelona forward did pull back a goal with five minutes remaining with an unstoppable drive that flew into the top corner. It was always going to take something special to beat Navas and Nolito - the best outfield player on the park at Balaidos - was the man most likely to produce it.
Celta had been playing with 10 men following the controversial dismissal of Gustavo Cabral (who picked up two bookings in quick succession earlier in the half) but Madrid's fatigue was showing and the home side threw everything at Rafa Benitez's men in the closing stages.
Navas, though, was not to be beaten again and it was Marcelo who
frustrated Celta once more, this time by firing home the clincher in
added time to seal a vital victory for Madrid.
It was the 12th game in the Benitez era and still his team have not been behind. They have also only conceded three times in those matches: once in the 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao, another in the 1-1 draw at Atletico and now in this one.
Navas has been a huge part of that record. With two penalty saves to his name already this term and a number of important interventions, he has been key to Madrid's success in the biggest games: at San Mames, at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, at the Parc des Princes in the 0-0 draw on Wednesday night - and now at Balaidos against La Liga's most in-form team.
"I cried in my house with my wife," Navas revealed in September as he discussed his aborted departure. "I didn't want to leave."
Now nobody wants him to leave and Benitez owes his goalkeeper a huge pat on the back for this result.
Asked about the Costa Rican's performance afterwards, the coach remarked: "The best thing was the team: scoring three goals, creating a lot of chances and, after Wednesday, to come here against an unbeaten and euphoric team, we played a good game and we knew how to suffer."
Without Navas's heroics, however, it would have been a different kind of suffering. His fantastic form must make him the best goalkeeper around at the moment. And as the weeks go by, signing De Gea looks less and less necessary for Real Madrid.
It was the 12th game in the Benitez era and still his team have not been behind. They have also only conceded three times in those matches: once in the 2-1 win at Athletic Bilbao, another in the 1-1 draw at Atletico and now in this one.
Navas has been a huge part of that record. With two penalty saves to his name already this term and a number of important interventions, he has been key to Madrid's success in the biggest games: at San Mames, at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, at the Parc des Princes in the 0-0 draw on Wednesday night - and now at Balaidos against La Liga's most in-form team.
"I cried in my house with my wife," Navas revealed in September as he discussed his aborted departure. "I didn't want to leave."
Now nobody wants him to leave and Benitez owes his goalkeeper a huge pat on the back for this result.
Asked about the Costa Rican's performance afterwards, the coach remarked: "The best thing was the team: scoring three goals, creating a lot of chances and, after Wednesday, to come here against an unbeaten and euphoric team, we played a good game and we knew how to suffer."
Without Navas's heroics, however, it would have been a different kind of suffering. His fantastic form must make him the best goalkeeper around at the moment. And as the weeks go by, signing De Gea looks less and less necessary for Real Madrid.
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