admin David de Gea could end his 12-year stay at Man Utd in the next two weeks and if he does walk away on a free signing a replacement will be costly.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this, but it looks increasingly likely that David De Gea’s 12-year tenure at Manchester United will come to an end in the next two weeks.
Instead of a well-deserved sacking for a player with 545 appearances, seventh all-time, De Gea’s time at United could end with a statement from the club and some tributes on social media.
The 32-year-old’s contract expires on June 30, but chances of an extension have plummeted in recent weeks. Negotiations continued, but no concrete proposals were made to the Spaniards.
For most of this season, it seemed formal that United and De Gea agreed to extend their stay, albeit at well below their current £375,000 a week wage. De Gea said in interviews for most of the season that it would happen.
However, the music mood has changed in the last few weeks. The player has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, raising manager Erik ten Hag’s doubts about extending his contract.
It was clear from the second week of the season that De Gea would not necessarily be a good fit for Ten Haag’s United. His distribution error at Brentford was a stark reminder of his shortcomings. Against Real Betis and against Sevilla in April, his leg performances were subdued.
What he lacks in passing ability, he usually makes up for with stop shots. De Gea’s defense at Ten Haag this season focuses on that fact and the idea that a goalkeeper’s job is essentially to keep the ball out of the net.
But a mistake crept into his game again. De Gea’s last game for the club could well be an FA Cup final loss to Manchester City after Ilkay Gundogan was late to score the winning goal. It may be the moment when Ten Hag’s decision to clean it up or tear it down takes shape.
Old Trafford officials say De Gea could still stay at the club and talks are not over yet, but it would clearly be another compromise for Ten Haag if that happens. would be
The reason for the uncertainty is funding. The Dutch player’s budget is said to fall short of the £225m he spent in his first summer at the club and will have to make up for it with sales.
United are set to submit a second offer for Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount in the near future, which could cost the 24-year-old midfielder more than £50million. Signing a striker also remains an absolute priority.
Most of this summer’s plans, however, have centered on signing a young goalkeeper to put a little more pressure on De Gea. United are eyeing Anderlecht’s 20-year-old Bad Verbruggen, with interest also coming from Brighton and Burnley.
A deal like this could have cost United around £15m, a sum that could easily be offset by the sale of Dean Henderson, whom Nottingham Forest want a full deal.
However, discussions with Forrest are on hold as uncertainty about De Gea’s future currently dominates most hiring decisions in the first few weeks of the hiring process. Henderson will be sold if a new deal is struck. But Henderson could be wanted if De Gea leaves.
United’s departure from Atlético Madrid for the 19-year-old goalkeeper means they will find the money to secure another No. 1. In early July, Henderson, Tom Heaton and Nathan Bishop will be the goalkeepers under contract for next season.
Ten Hag likes his former Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana, who has impressed in his first season at Inter Milan and could leave the San Siro due to the financial problems at the side who lost the Champions League final a week ago. Brentford`s David Raya is another goalkeeper on the radar of United and both Onana and Raya are exceptional with their feet.
Theres no doubt they would fit Ten Hags style more than De Gea ever did, but they would also cost at least £40m, probably more in the case of Onana.
Alongside Mount, that would blow a significant hole in Ten Hag`s transfer budget, especially when the recruitment of an elite striker is probably going to cost upwards of £70m, depending on who United target.
A move for Harry Kane might be in the rear-view mirror and extracting Victor Osimhen from Napoli also looks difficult, but Benfica`s Goncalo Ramos and Randal Kolo Muani, of Eintracht Frankfurt, are under discussion. Atalanta’s 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund is also keenly interested, but the Danish striker looks like a promising future, for a player who scored nine goals in 32 appearances in Serie A last season. Astronomical amounts are offered.
The signing of new first-choice goalkeeper Mount and the striker will almost certainly lift United’s spending towards their £150m target, with turnovers becoming a must.
Henderson certainly has a chance but ten Haag may need another goalkeeper despite the club validating that option in the 37-year-old Heaton’s contract There is This level of spending could force United to sell Scott McTominay, who has attracted interest from West Ham and Newcastle. They will also hear offers for Harry Maguire, who is interested in the Premier League but would need a pay cut to secure a full deal.
Selling may, of course, require replacement. If Maguire does indeed leave, that will certainly be the case.
The transfer window, which opened on Wednesday, is still early days, but things are changing fast for United. How things develop for De Gea in the next two weeks will have a big impact on what is needed and what can be achieved in the coming months.
