Manchester United are having second thoughts about extending David de Gea’s contract at Old Trafford in a move that could see him leave the club this summer, it has been reported.
31-year-old De Gea is one of the top earners at the club, having penned terms in 2019 that sees him paid over £350,000 per week.
However, he has been criticised for his on-the-ball ability, one of the key tenets of new boss Erik ten Hag’s footballing philosophy. Out of contract this summer as it stands, there is an optional one year extension that the club can opt to trigger, something that was assumed they would do with little hesitation.
But, as per The Telegraph, “Manchester United are weighing up whether to trigger David de Gea’s contract option after their wage bill reached a Premier League record £384 million for last season.”
If they opted not to, they would be letting their no.1 leave on a free transfer, following in the footsteps of the likes of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, both of whom did the same last summer. Dean Henderson could return from loan to fill the void, but recent comments have suggested he is not keen on a return to Manchester following his previous treatment.
One alternative should De Gea depart is Everton and England no.1 Jordan Pickford, who was reportedly subject to tentative interest from Tottenham Hotspur FC last season. The shot-stopper is missing England’s Nations League clashes through injury but has been back to his best form in Everton’s start to the season.
