David De Gea Reportedly Seeking Parity with Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United
November 29, 2018
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea could reportedly be persuaded to remain at Old Trafford if he is offered a new five-year contract worth £350,000 per week.
That is what the club's top earner, Alexis Sanchez, is paid, and De Gea is seeking parity with the Chilean as United continue to work on keeping him amid speculation linking him to Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, per the Daily Mail's Chris Wheeler.
De Gea's current contract expires at the end of the season, although United are planning to activate an automatic 12-month extension next month if they cannot get him to commit to new terms, added Wheeler.
That is likely a last resort, as ideally United would like to have their prize asset committed to the club long-term.
De Gea, 28, has every right to demand to be the top earner at the club, as he has been their most important player in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
No other player at Old Trafford has been as consistently good in the last few seasons or has earned United as many points as the Spaniard.
He was at it again against Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, making a breathtaking second-half save from a deflected Ulisses Garcia effort to keep the score at 0-0:
Marouane Fellaini went on to score a late winner to secure United a spot in the last 16 of the tournament with a group-stage game to spare.
De Gea is among the very best goalkeepers in the world, and United's current ambitions arguably do not match his quality.
At a club like Juve or PSG, he would have a much better chance of winning major silverware than he currently does at Old Trafford.
United cannot afford to lose him, though, and they would be well-advised to meet his demands if it means keeping him in Manchester into his 30s.