David de Gea is preparing for his 12th season at Manchester United and since Sir Alex Ferguson replaced Edwin van der Sar with the Spaniard, he has grown into a fan-favourite for many.
The Spain international developed into one of the best goalkeepers in the world but in recent years, it’s been a bumpy road for De Gea as he enters the final 12 months of his contract.
De Gea is United’s second top earner and he has revealed that although talks over a new deal have yet to be held, he would like to chance to see out his career at the club.
“I didn’t talk with anyone yet but of course, I would be really happy to be here for as long as they want,” De Gea is quoted as saying by The Athletic. “I want to be here for more years.”
After being quizzed on whether he could see himself retiring at United, De Gea was clear in response: “Yeah, if it’s possible, of course.
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“If they let me stay here I will stay here, for sure. I’m really comfortable, really happy, and hopefully before I leave we can win something.”
Dean Henderson briefly disrupted De Gea’s status as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice goalkeeper in the 2020/21 season but the Englishman’s fitness issues ensured that was merely a blip for De Gea.
SN’s verdict…
De Gea’s stocks were relatively high at the end of last season but his continued presence in the side may be down to more than his performances.
United’s budget this summer is far from unlimited and they are already quite frugal in the market. Ten Hag wants to oversee wholesale changes and although there are some areas he would like to strengthen, it does not make sense financially to do that this year.
Replacing the goalkeeper falls into that category. Signings a new shot-stopper is not crucial to Ten Hag’s plans. De Gea might want to retire at United but with his wages already sky-high, it’s hard to see the club offering him an improvement on that.
