Erik ten Hag has no intention of triggering the 12-month extension clause in David de Gea’s contract at the end of the season, it has been revealed.
The Spanish goalkeeper is Manchester United’s highest earner on a reported £375,000 per week wage and the Dutch manager is already eyeing replacements for the 2023/24 campaign.
While De Gea is keen to stay at Old Trafford, the 32-year-old’s days in Salford seem to be numbered, despite being United’s go-to man for the past decade.
Reputed journalist Florian Plettenburg was the one to break the news on Twitter this morning.
He said: “News De Gea: We‘ve been told that #MUFC – at this stage – is not considering to pull his clause to extend for one more year.
“Ten Hag is open to get a new No. 1 but the player would like to stay beyond 2023. Current salary between €18-20m/year confirmed.”
During his United career, De Gea has won one Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and a Europa League.
The United number one has also been the Red Devil’s Player of the Year on four occasions, showing how important he has been to the team.
Although, he did hit a low point after missing a deciding penalty in the 2020/21 Europa League Final.
Overall though, the Spaniard has had an excellent career with United.
This season, De Gea began the campaign with a couple of errors, but has since played consistently, making several outstanding saves in the last few games.
Despite his good form and popularity with the fans, Ten Hag seems to have made the decision that he needs a new number one, meaning De Gea will be allowed to leave on a free transfer next summer.
United target experienced Bundesliga GK
Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Yann Sommer is reportedly top of the list of replacement candidates, according to TEAMtalk.
One of the big reasons for Ten Hag’s decision for a change between the sticks could be the quality of De Gea’s distribution, something which Sommer is far superior at.
The Spaniard has registered an average of 18 successful passes per game in the Premier League this season, while Sommer has averaged 45 for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Another obvious advantage of swapping out De Gea for the Swiss international is the huge difference in wages.
While De Gea is on almost £400,ooo a week, Sommer by comparison earns just £36,000 a week in Germany, which would open up some funds for Ten Hag to spend on reinforcements elsewhere.
Sommer is not the only goalkeeper target for United, though.
England number one Jordan Pickford is another potential option, as it is rumoured he is reluctant to sign a contract extension at Everton.
His current deal runs out in June 2024, so the 28-year-old may be moved on by the Toffees sooner rather than later in order to return a decent transfer fee.
Whichever keeper United bring in next season, to some, Ten Hag’s decision to not extend De Gea’s stay at Old Trafford for another year is puzzling after being such a consistent performer for the Red Devils.
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