According to a report, Manchester United is actively looking to replace a senior star they believe was a costly mistake to offer a lucrative contract extension.
The futures of David de Gea and Marcus Rashford have been the subject of speculation for some time.
Rashford is reportedly set to accept a lucrative proposal making him the club’s highest-paid player. Upon signing a long-term deal, Rashford will earn £ 375,000 a week, surpassing De Gea’s current salary. Discussions regarding a new deal for De Gea have included the possibility of a reduced base salary, as the club decided not to trigger the one-year option in his contract. Consequently, De Gea will become a free agent on June 30.
With rumours of Dean Henderson’s potential move to Nottingham Forest, Manchester United is searching for a quality addition to their goalkeeping ranks this summer. The new signing was believed to serve as a high-class backup to De Gea. However, a recent report from the Mirror has revealed that the new goalkeeper will take over as the club’s starter, indicating that De Gea will be leaving after spending 12 years at Old Trafford.
The Mirror states that Manchester United is now prioritizing signing a new first-choice goalkeeper and is prepared for De Gea’s departure. Despite De Gea being a four-time Man Utd Player of the Year and leading the Premier League in clean sheets this season, his limitations in playing with the ball at his feet and occasional errors have been exposed, especially in the Europa League. The Mirror suggests that the £375,000-a-week wages agreed upon in 2019 for De Gea are now considered a mistake by the club.
Instead of continuing negotiations for a new deal, Manchester United actively seeks a replacement for the 32-year-old goalkeeper. The club has reportedly intensified their interest in signing a successor and is considering two world-class options. The Mirror mentions four names, but two of them, David Raya from Brentford and Bart Verbruggen, are no longer considered viable options. Verbruggen is on the verge of joining Brighton, while Raya is no longer in contention.
This leaves the door open for Tottenham, who have already agreed on personal terms with Raya. According to the report, Manchester United will focus on either Andre Onana from Inter Milan or Diogo Costa from FC Porto. Onana, 27, led this season’s Champions League in clean sheets and goals prevented. Costa, 23, has impressed at both club and international levels, establishing himself as Portugal’s number-one goalkeeper.
Diogo Costa’s current contract includes a release clause worth €75m (approximately £65m). In comparison, Onana is expected to command a fee of around £50m if Inter Milan approves his sale this summer.
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