Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that there is interest from Saudi Arabia for David de Gea but the goalkeeper wishes to stay at Manchester United.
The Spaniard’s saga is looking significantly more complex than it was last month and currently, his future at Old Trafford is uncertain.
De Gea’s contract will expire at the end of June unless an extension or fresh one is signed. For a while, it was believed that he would pen a new deal on reduced terms and keep his spot between the sticks next season.
However, The Mirror has reported that he is unwilling to agree to a pay cut from his current £375,000-a-week wages, which makes him the highest earner at the club, and this has led to talks stalling.
As well as that, his form has faltered across recent campaigns. Erik ten Hag is seemingly unsure whether the 32-year-old is trustworthy enough to retain the No.1 position next term, hence why United are actively scouring the market for an alternative.
To make matters harder for De Gea, he’s the latest subject of interest in the Saudi Arabian swoop of Europe, which has already seen Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante depart their teams to complete big-money moves to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. Seeing as money is a factor for the ‘keeper, it may be a prospect he cannot refuse.
Romano on De Gea
In his Daily Briefing with CaughtOffside, Romano addressed the speculation and gave his take on the matter, saying: “For David de Gea, the priority is to stay at Manchester United. He really hopes to stay a bit longer at Old Trafford, but if this won’t happen, Saudi will be one of the options. They approached him two weeks ago, but it is not advanced yet as United is his priority.”
