@sidlowe
It is RM's responsibility to get papers to LFP, not ManU's (that's how it has been explained to me)
That's for registering him with league. International transfer, which comes through first (don't know if this has), through automated system
Which opens intriguing possibility that RM have got De Gea's transfer through but not registered him in time (but transfer would... 1/2...
...2/2 ... Almost certainly carry a clause that says transfer depended on (subsequent) registration. So, w/o that, becomes void.
We know about paperwork not reaching LFP in time, but we haven't been told about step before that: the transfer (as far as I am aware)
If transfer done (and we all assume it is, or it probably wouldn't have even got to paperwork exchanging phase), then this ... 1/2...
.. 2/2 ... Now comes down to basic question: can RM persuade LFP to register him despite late arrival? (I would guess so but don't know)
Anyway, as I said: sleep on it, (I suspect) things'll look different in the morning