Manchester United Must Give David De Gea the Contract He Deserves

A good goalkeeper will win a team just as many points as a good striker. David de Gea proved that much in his now-storied performance against Everton.

The attacking talent of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao may have made the scoresheet, but it was De Gea who secured the win.

Indeed, the Spaniard’s display was certainly eye-catching. His stoppage-time save from Bryan Oviedo in particular will surely make the Premier League highlight reel for this season. His save to deny Leighton Baines from the penalty spot wasn’t bad either.

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In fact, De Gea was so impressive against Everton that it pushed him to the forefront of Spain coach Vicente del Bosque’s consciousness, who installed the 23-year-old as his first-choice 'keeper for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Luxembourg.

Of course, much of his recent anointment as Spain’s first-choice 'keeper is down to the poor form of Iker Casillas, but given his track record, betting against De Gea keeping his place doesn’t hold much value.

It should come as no surprise that De Gea now finds himself the subject of transfer speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid. What’s more, it’s easy to envisage De Gea as a galactico. That’s the level he finds himself at right now.

Real Madrid see De Gea as the natural successor to Casillas at both club and country level, according to Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, with the Spanish giants aware of the goalkeeper’s contract situation at Old Trafford.

But United must fend off Real’s advances. They cannot afford to lose De Gea, arguably their best and most consistent player over the past two seasons.

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It is of utmost importance that United tie De Gea to a new contract at Old Trafford. Goalkeepers are often valued somewhat lower than their outfield counterparts, but De Gea deserves a contract that reflects his standing at the club.

De Gea and Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois are as good as goalkeepers come in the Premier League. They are the vanguard of a new goalkeeping generation, reaching astonishing standards of performance barely into their 20s.

United must therefore pay De Gea accordingly and avoid repeating previous mistakes regarding the handling of contract quarrels. Look at the way Paul Pogba was allowed to leave for Juventus following a contract dispute. Even Gerard Pique was sold on the cheap as Barcelona agreed to meet his salary demands. 

And yet new contracts were slung at the likes of Nani and Anderson with gleeful abandon. United must be more astute when it comes to handling the contract of De Gea.

It perhaps counts in United’s favour that De Gea is now part of a strong Spanish contingent at the club. The isolation the 'keeper experienced upon his arrival in England from Atletico Madrid is no longer an issue, although he has recently admitted that a return to Spain had crossed his mind.

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“Sometimes,” De Gea admitted when asked whether he had thought of returning to his homeland amid difficult times at United, as per Richard Jolly of ESPN FC. “It was difficult when you get a lot of criticism like I did.”

There are many moving parts at United at present, given the number of incomings and outgoings over the summer, but Louis van Gaal need not worry about his goalkeeper. And all successful teams can count on their No. 1.

At a time when United are looking to rebuild their starting lineup, they already boast a solid foundation in De Gea. In just three years and at just 23 years old, De Gea has become a United stalwart. The club must ensure it stays that way.

Real Madrid have pinched their fair share of Manchester United stars over the past decade: David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Gabriel Heinze and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. The Old Trafford club must make sure they don’t add De Gea’s name to that list.