Rio Ferdinand wants Manchester United to extend David de Gea’s contract.
The former Manchester United centre-back has suggested that the club should hand De Gea a new deal, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the season.
United have an option to trigger an additional year, which should be activated to give the club an opportunity to make some money back on a transfer.
Speaking about De Gea’s contract situation, as quoted by the Express, Ferdinand told BT Sport: “I would give him a contract. I think his character speaks a lot, because he’s had times where he got taken out of the team for Dean Henderson, questioned his quality.
“Even when he first came to the club, people were saying ‘Is he the right one?’, because he was so young maybe he’s not the right guy, [he] always comes through.
“The only thing we can all say he’s an excellent goalkeeper, we look at [Edouard] Mendy at Chelsea was fantastic, one of the best goalkeepers in the world last season and the season before, the manager wants to play a different style of football.
“It’s all down to the way Erik ten Hag wants to play football.
“If he wants to play out from the back like he did with Ajax, it’s all about someone who is actually better with their feet.
“David de Gea, that’s not his biggest strength. He’s good enough I think with his feet, but his biggest strength is his shot-stopping.”
Even though De Gea conceded against Everton on Sunday night, it was arguably his best performance of the season as he showed willingness to come off his line and made some clutch saves at the end of deny Frank Lampard’s side an equaliser.
With Dean Henderson on loan at Nottingham Forest, De Gea faces competition from Martin Dubravka and Tom Heaton. Neither are likely to get many games this season and we think United will be in the market for a new number one next summer.
We already know De Gea wants to stay and the interest he once attracting from Real Madrid has completely diminished.
Ten Hag must be the one to decide on De Gea’s future – from a United perspective at least – and not some suit, who doesn’t have any control over the team itself.
