Man Utd ‘refuse to guarantee De Gea No1 shirt’ despite new deal with Ten Hag looking at alternatives after blunders
MANCHESTER UNITED have reportedly refused to guarantee David de Gea the No1 shirt next season.
That’s after the goalkeeper committed another high-profile blunder while closing in on a new deal.
De Gea, 32, is set to extend his 12-year Old Trafford stay for one more season following Sunday’s defeat at West Ham.
The Spaniard is already willing to take a huge pay cut on his current £350,000-a-week salary.
But the Telegraph claims De Gea may also end up as United’s back-up stopper following several costly errors on the pitch.
The gloveman had a shocker as the Red Devils crashed out of the Europa League to Sevilla last month.
And his latest mistake came just yesterday as he turned in Said Benrahma’s shot to gift West Ham a 1-0 win.
As a result, Erik ten Hag is wondering whether he can trust De Gea to continue between the sticks.
The ace is valued for his experience and leadership, having joined under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011.
And Ten Hag is keen for De Gea to continue at the club, saying yesterday: “We have the most clean sheets in the Premier League and we wouldn’t be in this position without him.
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“Mistakes happen but he has my full belief and I have no concerns about him. We want him to stay and extend his contract.”
But despite De Gea’s impending new deal, United have also started exploring the market for a goalkeeper to potentially take the No1 jersey.
Brentford’s David Raya is high on Ten Hag’s list after revealing his desire to move on this summer.
United are also looking at Porto’s Diogo Costa, who has been linked with Chelsea.
And a decision will also be made on Dean Henderson, who could be sold to raise funds once his Nottingham Forest loan ends.
However, United’s ability to compete for a new goalie will be dictated by other factors – namely how much money they have to spend.
Ten Hag is prioritising a world-class striker to lead the line, and he would also like a midfielder to play alongside Casemiro.
There is the small matter of the Glazers’ plan to sell up too, with new bids being received at the end of last month.
But De Gea’s sudden drop in form could prompt United into moving for a new goalie should the right deal come along.