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David De Gea Reportedly Reluctant to Sign Manchester United Contract Extension
November 14, 2018
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is reportedly hesitant about signing a new contract with the club.
According to James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph, the Red Devils have made little progress in negotiations with the Spain international over an extension, with his current terms set to expire in 2020
"De Gea is reluctant to commit to another contract while United are struggling so badly on the pitch, and the Spain goalkeeper could leave on a free transfer at the end of next season, unless the club are forced to cash in before then should they fail to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations," the report continued.
In the report it's said United are ready to offer De Gea a weekly wage of £275,000, but the player wants to be challenging for the top prizes in the game as he heads into the peak years of his career.
Ducker noted that Juventus are "keeping an eye on the situation" following the departure of Gianluigi Buffon in the summer, while other clubs are expected to show an interest in the 28-year-old should an extension to his contract remain unsigned.
De Gea arrived at United in 2011 and during his time at Old Trafford he has developed into one of the standout goalkeepers in the game. However, this season he has been part of a Red Devils defence that has leaked a lot of goals:
While few of those have been directly down to De Gea, the United stopper hasn't been quite as razor sharp this term as he has been in recent years.
He's made some outstanding saves this term, with a stunning stop from Cristiano Ronaldo in the UEFA Champions League a standout moment, although there have been occasions when efforts that De Gea would usually parry away have slipped past him.
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News commented on how Sergio Aguero's goal in the recent 3-1 loss to Manchester City perhaps should've been kept out:
However, De Gea remains one of the most consistent performers in Jose Mourinho's squad, and the only reason eyebrows are raised when shots like that do get past him is because of the sky-high standards he has set in the past.
Rob Blanchette can understand why De Gea may be considering his future elsewhere given the nature of United's recent performances:
De Gea has won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, one League Cup and one UEFA Europa League at United. However, in terms of the Premier League and the Champions League, as things stand the Red Devils appear a long way off competing with the best sides in England and Europe.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move away in the past, with a transfer to Real Madrid famously collapsing late on in the window of the summer of 2015. It appears Red Devils supporters may have to brace themselves for another batch of rumours in regards to their goalkeeper.