David de Gea will stay at Manchester United according to The Athletic – Man United News And Transfer News

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David de Gea will be given a new contract at Manchester United, according to The Athletic.

The goalkeeper’s current £375,000 per week contract is due to expire in June and United have opted not to trigger a one-year extension on the deal.

That means that either a new contract will be drawn up, or the Spaniard will leave the club for free at the end of the season.

Negotiations on a new deal are underway and the outlet reports that “De Gea has turned down … United’s first offer of a new contract, but at this stage negotiations are expected to reach a positive conclusion.”

They further report that “De Gea … recognises that now, aged 32, he must take a reduction to stay.”

“United have — according to sources speaking on condition of anonymity to protect their positions — made a good proposal, but nonetheless, it is unsatisfactory to De Gea at present,” the report continues.

Despite a number of other outlets claiming that United are shopping around for a replacement who is better suited to manager Erik ten Hag’s style of play, The Athletic says the manager “has come to appreciate De Gea’s worth and is happy for him to be his goalkeeper for future years.”

They further add that the goalkeeping position is not seen as a priority in the transfer market, especially given FFP restrictions.

As was reported here recently, the perception of De Gea being a world-class shot stopper is not borne out by the statistics, which show him as just 13th in the Premier League on the most important metrics. The Athletic support this claim with their own stats.

The report suggests that Brentford’s David Raya, who surpasses his compatriot on almost every measured stat this season, is a good option to replace De Gea. However, it is also noted that “Tony Coton, United’s chief goalkeeping scout, has been scouring Europe for six months and is not yet completely sold on a replacement, especially at the prices being mentioned.”

Dean Henderson, currently on loan at Nottingham Forest, is also under consideration but the feeling of the article is that United will stick with De Gea if he is ready to accept the offer on the table, or close to it.

It seems unlikely that any other club will offer significantly more than United, so at this stage, a new deal, as The Athletic suggests, seems likely.

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